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A pair of individuals have been detained as a component of an investigation into the dumping of several thousand of metric tons of refuse in a field in Oxfordshire.

Authorities indicated that a 69-year-old was detained at a property in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in Slough in relation with the huge mound of rubbish tipped near the area of Kidlington.

These arrests come after a prior revelation which exposed the presence of in excess of 500 unauthorized tips across England, featuring at least 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 tons.

A official for the environmental agency said that the arrests were for environment-related and financial offences and represented a "vital step" in active probes. Both men have been set free on bail.

Size of the Situation

The tipping ground in Kidlington, situated between the River Cherwell and the A34 highway, is believed to contain around 21,000 metric tons of refuse in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) in height.

This mound of waste is composed of what seems to be sorted household rubbish, shredded plastics, expanded polystyrene, tyres and various everyday articles.

It represents just a single of 517 unlawful sites in England, at minimum 11 of which hold more than 20,000 metric tons of rubbish. They encompass a 280,000-tonne site in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire county and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The actual figure of such larger dumps is expected to be greater, as the regulatory authority has earlier stated it does not possess records on weight for all unauthorized tip.

The majority sites are in rural locations, often hidden, and on land that is intended to be farm property.

Organised Operations

Authorities state many are run by criminal organizations, who are earning money by charging far less than legitimate companies to accept and bury waste.

Companies have to incur site fees to use lawful landfill sites, based on the volume and category of waste they are trying to dispose of, and a disposal levy is also levied at just over £126 per ton.

Public Anger

Preparation work to clean up the Kidlington area site started recently following fears over the potential of blaze and the effect that would have on the nearby major road.

A contracted waste clearance firm has been given the job to deal with the location over the next 12 months period at a cost of £9.6m.

An investigations official for the government regulatory unit stated that the agency would be looking to claim back the clean-up funds under proceeds of crime legislation from anyone found guilty at the end of its ongoing case.

She further stated that these detentions would help "push the probe forward" and allow officials to "investigate more avenues to ascertain exactly what transpired and who was involved".

"The illegal dump at Kidlington was an appalling and deliberate assault on our environment and officials share the community's frustration at this egregious offence," she stated.

A cabinet official supported the detentions, commenting: "The illegal tipping of rubbish at Kidlington is appalling and has led to substantial damage to the environment and anguish to the nearby community.

"Our administration is committed to eliminating this type of criminality throughout the UK, by increasing resources to combat waste crime, recruiting more personnel and implementing more severe measures and penalties for those who break the rules."

The apprehensions were carried out on a recent Thursday by personnel from a specialist serious crime squad and follow an earlier detention of a man in his thirties from the Surrey area in November. He was let go pending further investigations.