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Two individuals have been detained as a component of an inquiry into the illegal deposit of several thousand of tons of waste in a rural field in Oxfordshire.

Officials indicated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a dwelling in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was detained in the town of Slough in connection with the huge pile of rubbish dumped near Kidlington.

These arrests occur a week after a previous report which uncovered the presence of in excess of 500 unauthorized tips throughout England, including at least 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 tonnes.

A official for the environmental authorities stated that the detentions were for ecological and proceeds of crime violations and represented a "key step" in active investigations. Both men have been set free on bail.

Scale of the Problem

The dump in Kidlington, positioned between the river Cherwell and the A34 highway, is thought to hold around 21,000 tons of rubbish in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) high.

This mound of garbage is made up of what seems to be treated residential refuse, fragmented plastics, Styrofoam, tires and other everyday items.

It represents just one example of 517 unauthorized tips in England, at minimum 11 of which contain over 20,000 tons of waste. These encompass a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The actual figure of such major locations is expected to be larger, as the regulatory body has previously indicated it does not maintain records on weight for all illegal site.

The majority such locations are in agricultural settings, frequently concealed, and on land that is intended to be farm land.

Organised Activity

Police report a significant number are run by organized crime groups, who are generating money by demanding much less than lawful companies to accept and landfill rubbish.

Companies have to pay site fees to use legitimate disposal sites, contingent on the quantity and nature of refuse they are trying to dispose of, and a waste tax is also applied at just over £126 per tonne.

Community Anger

Preparatory efforts to clear the affected location began recently following fears over the risk of blaze and the consequences that would have on the close-by highway.

A private clean-up firm has been granted the contract to handle the site over the next 12 months period at a cost of £9.6m.

An investigations manager for the government environment division commented that the agency would be aiming to recover the remediation costs under proceeds of crime acts from any party ultimately convicted at the end of its ongoing case.

She further stated that this week's apprehensions would help "move the investigation forward" and allow officials to "pursue more leads to understand precisely what transpired and who was involved".

"The illegal tip at the site was an shocking and calculated assault on our environment and officials empathize with the community's outrage at this egregious crime," she said.

A cabinet official praised the actions, stating: "This unauthorized deposit of rubbish at the site is appalling and has resulted in significant damage to the natural world and distress to the local residents.

"Our authorities is pledged to stamping out this type of criminality in the country, by increasing resources to combat illegal dumping, employing more personnel and enacting stricter measures and penalties for those who violate the law."

The detentions were carried out on a recent Thursday by agents from a specialist organised crime team and come after an prior arrest of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area area in November. He was set free subject to additional investigations.