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Two individuals have been arrested as part of an probe into the illegal deposit of thousands of tons of waste in a open field in Oxfordshire.

Officials indicated that a man in his late sixties was apprehended at a property in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was detained in Slough in association with the huge pile of rubbish dumped near the area of Kidlington.

These apprehensions follow a recent investigation which revealed the presence of in excess of 500 unlawful dumps across England, encompassing at minimum 11 so-called "super sites" bigger than 20,000 tons.

A representative for the regulatory body said that the apprehensions were for ecological and financial violations and represented a "crucial step" in active investigations. The apprehended men have been released on conditional release.

Magnitude of the Issue

The dump in Kidlington, located between the river Cherwell and the A34, is estimated to contain around 21,000 metric tons of waste in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) tall.

This mound of waste is consists of what appears to be processed household rubbish, chopped up plastics, expanded polystyrene, tires and other domestic objects.

It is just one example of 517 illegal dumps throughout the country, at least 11 of which hold in excess of 20,000 metric tons of rubbish. Such sites feature a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The overall amount of such major sites is expected to be greater, as the environmental agency has previously acknowledged it does not maintain records on tonnage for each unlawful dump.

Most sites are in rural areas, typically out of sight, and on land that is intended to be arable property.

Organised Operations

Law enforcement say numerous are managed by organized crime groups, who are generating profit by asking for much less than licensed companies to take and dispose of rubbish.

Firms have to incur disposal fees to use lawful disposal sites, depending on the quantity and type of material they are trying to get rid of, and landfill tax is also applied at just over £126 per ton.

Public Frustration

Preparatory efforts to clear the affected dump began in recent weeks amid worries over the threat of fire and the effect that would have on the adjacent highway.

A commercial waste removal company has been awarded the job to handle the area over the next 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An investigations official for the government environmental crime unit stated that the agency would be looking to recoup the remediation funds under asset recovery acts from anyone ultimately convicted at the conclusion of its current investigation.

She further stated that the recent arrests would help "move the investigation forward" and enable authorities to "pursue more avenues to understand in detail what transpired and who was involved".

"This unlawful site at the site was an appalling and calculated affront on our ecology and officials understand the public's frustration at this egregious act," she remarked.

A government official praised the detentions, stating: "This unlawful tipping of garbage at Kidlington is disgraceful and has caused substantial detriment to the ecology and distress to the local population.

"Our authorities is committed to stamping out this type of criminality in the nation, by increasing resources to combat illegal dumping, hiring more personnel and enacting more severe checks and penalties for those who violate the rules."

The detentions were made on the specified day by personnel from a dedicated organised crime unit and are in addition to an earlier apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Surrey region in November. He was set free subject to more enquiries.