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Two individuals have been arrested as a component of an probe into the illegal deposit of thousands of tonnes of refuse in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

Officials indicated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a dwelling in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in the town of Slough in relation with the huge heap of garbage dumped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These apprehensions follow a previous report which revealed the existence of over 500 illegal tips throughout England, including at minimum 11 so-called "super sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

A spokeswoman for the regulatory body said that the detentions were for ecological and financial offences and constituted a "crucial step" in continuing inquiries. Both men have been let go on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Situation

The dump in Kidlington, located between the Cherwell River and the A34 road, is thought to hold approximately 21,000 metric tons of refuse in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) tall.

This mound of waste is made up of what looks to be treated household refuse, fragmented plastic items, polystyrene, automobile tires and other household objects.

It constitutes just one of 517 illegal dumps in the country, at least 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 tons of rubbish. They encompass a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The total figure of such larger locations is expected to be greater, as the regulatory authority has earlier stated it does not maintain records on weight for each unauthorized site.

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

Organized Activity

Police state a significant number are managed by criminal organizations, who are earning profit by charging far less than licensed companies to accept and dispose of waste.

Companies have to pay disposal fees to use licensed landfill sites, depending on the amount and nature of refuse they are trying to dispose of, and a waste tax is also charged at just over £126 per tonne.

Public Outrage

Preparatory work to clear the Kidlington area dump started in recent weeks amid worries over the risk of blaze and the effect that would have on the adjacent major road.

A private waste clearance company has been awarded the job to handle the site over the coming 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An enforcement officer for the country's environment unit stated that the agency would be seeking to claim back the remediation funds under proceeds of crime laws from any party ultimately convicted at the conclusion of its current case.

She noted that these apprehensions would help "push the investigation forward" and permit officials to "pursue more lines of inquiry to ascertain exactly what happened and who was implicated".

"The unlawful tip at Kidlington was an appalling and calculated assault on our natural surroundings and officials empathize with the public's anger at this horrific crime," she stated.

A cabinet minister praised the arrests, adding: "The illegal tipping of rubbish at this location is utterly appalling and has resulted in considerable detriment to the ecology and distress to the local population.

"The government is committed to eliminating this kind of crime throughout the nation, by boosting funds to combat environmental crime, employing more personnel and enacting more severe measures and sanctions for those who flout the regulations."

The arrests were executed on a recent Thursday by agents from a regional serious crime team and come after an previous arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford region in November. He was set free subject to further enquiries.