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A pair of individuals have been arrested as part of an investigation into the dumping of several thousand of tons of refuse in a rural field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Law enforcement stated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a dwelling in the town of Andover, while a man in his fifties was taken into custody in Slough, Berkshire in connection with the massive heap of waste deposited near Kidlington.

These detentions come after a recent investigation which uncovered the existence of over 500 illegal sites across England, featuring at minimum 11 so-called "major sites" larger than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the regulatory body said that the apprehensions were for environmental and financial offences and represented a "vital step" in active inquiries. The two individuals have been released on bail.

Magnitude of the Situation

The tipping ground in Kidlington, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34 highway, is believed to hold around 21,000 tons of refuse in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) tall.

This mound of rubbish is composed of what appears to be sorted household waste, shredded plastic items, Styrofoam, automobile tires and assorted domestic items.

It constitutes just one example of 517 illegal sites across England, at least 11 of which hold in excess of 20,000 metric tons of garbage. They encompass a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The actual number of such bigger locations is likely to be higher, as the environment agency has previously acknowledged it does not hold records on tonnage for all illegal dump.

The majority such locations are in agricultural locations, often out of sight, and on land that should be arable land.

Organised Enterprise

Law enforcement say numerous are run by organized crime groups, who are generating cash by asking for significantly less than licensed firms to receive and dispose of rubbish.

Companies have to incur gate fees to use lawful landfill sites, based on the volume and nature of material they are trying to get rid of, and a waste tax is also charged at just over £126 per tonne.

Local Frustration

Preparatory efforts to clear the affected location commenced earlier this month amid worries over the threat of combustion and the consequences that would have on the adjacent A-road.

A contracted waste removal company has been given the task to deal with the location over the coming 12 months period at a cost of £9.6m.

An enforcement official for the country's environment division said that the body would be seeking to recover the clean-up expenses under proceeds of crime laws from anyone successfully found guilty at the conclusion of its ongoing investigation.

She noted that these detentions would help "push the probe forward" and permit officials to "investigate more lines of inquiry to ascertain in detail what happened and who was a party to it".

"The illegal dump at Kidlington was an atrocious and calculated affront on our environment and we understand the community's outrage at this terrible offence," she remarked.

A cabinet minister welcomed the arrests, stating: "This unlawful tipping of garbage at the site is disgraceful and has resulted in significant harm to the natural world and anguish to the local community.

"Our administration is committed to eliminating this kind of crime throughout the country, by boosting financing to tackle environmental crime, hiring more staff and introducing tougher measures and sanctions for those who violate the regulations."

The detentions were carried out on the specified day by officers from a specialist organised crime squad and follow an prior detention of a man in his thirties from the Surrey region in November. He was let go subject to more investigations.