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Two individuals have been detained as part of an probe into the tipping of many thousands of metric tons of rubbish in a field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Authorities reported that a 69-year-old was detained at a dwelling in the town of Andover, while a man in his fifties was arrested in the town of Slough in association with the enormous pile of waste tipped near Kidlington.

These arrests come after a recent report which uncovered the presence of in excess of 500 unlawful tips throughout England, including at a minimum of 11 so-called "large-scale sites" larger than 20,000 metric tons.

A official for the environment body commented that the apprehensions were for environmental and proceeds of crime crimes and were a "vital step" in continuing inquiries. Both men have been released on bail.

Scale of the Issue

The dump in Kidlington, located between the River Cherwell and the A34, is thought to contain approximately 21,000 tonnes of waste in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) high.

This heap of garbage is made up of what seems to be sorted residential rubbish, shredded plastic items, Styrofoam, tyres and various everyday articles.

It represents just a single of 517 unlawful tips across England, at a minimum of 11 of which hold in excess of 20,000 tons of waste. Such sites encompass a 280,000-tonne site in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The total number of such larger sites is expected to be greater, as the environmental agency has in the past stated it does not possess information on tonnage for all unauthorized tip.

Most such locations are in rural areas, often hidden, and on land that is zoned as agricultural land.

Organised Operations

Police state numerous are managed by criminal organizations, who are earning cash by asking for significantly less than licensed operators to take and bury waste.

Businesses have to incur gate fees to use legitimate waste facilities, contingent on the volume and category of refuse they are trying to discard, and a disposal levy is also levied at just over £126 per tonne.

Public Anger

Preparation efforts to clear the Kidlington dump commenced recently following concerns over the potential of fire and the effect that would have on the close-by highway.

A commercial waste clearance contractor has been awarded the task to handle the area over the coming 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An enforcement manager for the government environmental crime unit commented that the body would be aiming to recover the remediation funds under proceeds of crime acts from any individual successfully found guilty at the conclusion of its ongoing investigation.

She noted that these detentions would help "push the investigation forward" and allow authorities to "follow more avenues to understand exactly what occurred and who was implicated".

"The illegal dump at Kidlington was an appalling and deliberate attack on our natural surroundings and the authorities share the local frustration at this terrible crime," she said.

A senior minister praised the detentions, adding: "The unlawful tipping of garbage at this location is disgraceful and has caused substantial damage to the natural world and upset to the local community.

"The government is committed to eradicating this category of crime throughout the UK, by boosting financing to combat illegal dumping, hiring more personnel and implementing tougher checks and sanctions for those who violate the law."

The apprehensions were made on a recent Thursday by agents from a specialist organised crime unit and come after an prior apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area in November. He was set free pending further enquiries.