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Two individuals have been taken into custody as a component of an inquiry into the tipping of many thousands of tons of waste in a rural field in Oxfordshire, England.

Officials reported that a man in his late sixties was detained at a dwelling in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in Slough, Berkshire in association with the massive pile of waste deposited near Kidlington.

These arrests occur a week after a prior investigation which uncovered the presence of more than 500 illegal sites across the country of England, including at a minimum of 11 so-called "super sites" larger than 20,000 tons.

A representative for the environment agency commented that the arrests were for environmental and proceeds of crime violations and represented a "key step" in continuing inquiries. The two individuals have been released on bail.

Size of the Situation

The dump in Kidlington, positioned between the river Cherwell and the A34 road, is believed to house around 21,000 tons of rubbish in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) in height.

This heap of rubbish is composed of what seems to be sorted residential waste, chopped up plastic materials, Styrofoam, tyres and other domestic items.

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

The total figure of such major locations is expected to be greater, as the environment body has previously indicated it does not hold information on weight for all unauthorized dump.

A large proportion of such locations are in countryside locations, typically out of sight, and on land that is intended to be farm ground.

Organized Activity

Police say numerous are operated by organised crime gangs, who are generating money by demanding much less than licensed operators to take and dispose of garbage.

Companies have to be liable for disposal fees to use lawful waste facilities, contingent on the volume and nature of waste they are trying to discard, and landfill tax is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Local Anger

Preparatory work to remove the Kidlington site commenced recently amid fears over the threat of blaze and the consequences that would have on the close-by major road.

A private waste clearance contractor has been given the contract to deal with the location over the following 12 months period at a cost of £9.6m.

An investigations official for the country's environmental crime unit commented that the authority would be looking to recoup the remediation expenses under proceeds of crime laws from any party successfully prosecuted at the end of its ongoing investigation.

She noted that the recent arrests would help "push the inquiry forward" and allow authorities to "investigate more leads to determine exactly what transpired and who was a party to it".

"This unauthorized site at Kidlington was an atrocious and intentional attack on our natural surroundings and the authorities understand the local frustration at this horrific act," she said.

A cabinet representative praised the detentions, stating: "This unlawful tipping of rubbish at Kidlington is appalling and has led to substantial damage to the natural world and distress to the surrounding community.

"Our government is pledged to stamping out this category of illegal activity throughout the country, by increasing funds to combat illegal dumping, employing more officers and enacting tougher controls and fines for those who break the law."

The detentions were executed on a recent Thursday by officers from a dedicated crime team and follow an previous detention of a man in his thirties from the Guildford region in the autumn. He was let go awaiting further inquiries.