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A pair of individuals have been arrested as part of an inquiry into the dumping of several thousand of tons of rubbish in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

Officials reported that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a dwelling in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in Slough in connection with the enormous heap of garbage deposited near Kidlington.

These arrests come after a previous revelation which exposed the presence of more than 500 unlawful sites throughout England, featuring at minimum 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 tonnes.

A official for the environmental body commented that the apprehensions were for ecological and financial offences and represented a "crucial step" in continuing investigations. The apprehended men have been released on bail.

Magnitude of the Issue

The tipping ground in the Kidlington area, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34 highway, is thought to contain approximately 21,000 tons of rubbish in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) high.

This mound of waste is made up of what appears to be sorted domestic waste, chopped up plastic materials, polystyrene, automobile tires and other domestic articles.

It constitutes just one of 517 unauthorized dumps across the country, at least 11 of which are estimated to hold more than 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. Such sites encompass a 280,000-tonne area in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The total number of such larger sites is probably to be larger, as the environmental authority has previously acknowledged it does not possess records on weight for each illegal dump.

A large proportion of these sites are in agricultural settings, typically concealed, and on land that should be agricultural property.

Organized Operations

Authorities state numerous are operated by criminal organizations, who are making cash by asking for far less than lawful operators to take and landfill garbage.

Firms have to be liable for disposal fees to use legitimate disposal sites, contingent on the amount and nature of material they are trying to dispose of, and landfill tax is also levied at just over £126 per tonne.

Community Outrage

Preparation operations to clear the Kidlington site began earlier this month following worries over the threat of fire and the impact that would have on the adjacent highway.

A contracted waste removal firm has been awarded the task to remediate the location over the following 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An enforcement official for the country's environmental crime team said that the agency would be aiming to recoup the clearance costs under confiscation legislation from anyone successfully convicted at the termination of its current investigation.

She further stated that these arrests would help "move the inquiry forward" and permit officials to "follow more avenues to ascertain precisely what transpired and who was implicated".

"This illegal site at Kidlington was an shocking and deliberate attack on our ecology and we understand the public's outrage at this terrible crime," she said.

A government minister supported the actions, adding: "This illegal dumping of rubbish at this location is appalling and has caused substantial damage to the environment and upset to the local population.

"Our authorities is committed to stamping out this type of illegal activity in the nation, by augmenting financing to tackle waste crime, recruiting more personnel and introducing tougher measures and fines for those who break the regulations."

The arrests were carried out on a recent Thursday by personnel from a dedicated crime unit and come after an prior detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area in the autumn. He was set free pending further inquiries.