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Two individuals have been detained as an element of an investigation into the tipping of several thousand of metric tons of waste in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

Law enforcement indicated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a residence in Hampshire's Andover, while a man in his fifties was detained in Slough in relation with the huge mound of waste tipped near the area of Kidlington.

These arrests follow a recent investigation which revealed the presence of more than 500 unlawful tips across England, featuring at least 11 so-called "super sites" larger than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the environmental body said that the arrests were for environment-related and financial offences and represented a "vital step" in active investigations. The apprehended men have been let go on conditional release.

Size of the Issue

The dump in the Kidlington area, positioned between the River Cherwell and the A34 road, is believed to house approximately 21,000 metric tons of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) high.

This pile of waste is made up of what appears to be processed household waste, chopped up plastics, expanded polystyrene, tyres and various domestic objects.

It represents just one of 517 unlawful tips throughout England, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold more than 20,000 metric tons of garbage. They include a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The overall number of such major dumps is expected to be greater, as the environmental body has previously stated it does not maintain information on weight for all unauthorized dump.

A large proportion of such locations are in rural locations, frequently hidden, and on land that is zoned as farm ground.

Organized Operations

Police report a significant number are operated by organised crime gangs, who are earning money by asking for significantly less than legitimate firms to take and bury waste.

Companies have to pay site fees to use legitimate waste facilities, based on the quantity and nature of waste they are trying to discard, and a waste tax is also applied at just over £126 per ton.

Public Outrage

Initial efforts to clear the Kidlington location began earlier this month due to worries over the potential of fire and the impact that would have on the close-by major road.

A private waste clearance company has been given the task to remediate the site over the following 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An enforcement manager for the government regulatory team commented that the agency would be seeking to claim back the remediation expenses under confiscation acts from any party convicted at the termination of its current case.

She noted that these detentions would help "push the probe forward" and permit officials to "pursue more leads to ascertain in detail what transpired and who was implicated".

"The unauthorized site at the site was an atrocious and intentional attack on our natural surroundings and we understand the public's frustration at this terrible offence," she stated.

A senior official welcomed the detentions, stating: "The unauthorized deposit of waste at the site is appalling and has resulted in significant harm to the environment and upset to the nearby residents.

"Our government is dedicated to eliminating this kind of illegal activity in the nation, by boosting resources to tackle waste crime, employing more personnel and introducing more severe controls and fines for those who flout the law."

The detentions were executed on Thursday by agents from a specialist crime team and come after an previous arrest of a man in his thirties from the Surrey region in November. He was let go subject to further inquiries.