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

Officials indicated that a man in his late sixties was apprehended at a residence in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough in association with the huge heap of waste tipped near Kidlington.

These apprehensions occur a week after a previous report which uncovered the presence of over 500 unlawful sites throughout England, including at least 11 so-called "major sites" larger than 20,000 tonnes.

A spokeswoman for the regulatory body commented that the detentions were for ecological and proceeds of crime crimes and constituted a "crucial step" in ongoing inquiries. Both men have been released on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Situation

The tipping ground in the Kidlington area, positioned between the River Cherwell and the A34 highway, is believed to house about 21,000 metric tons of waste in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) in height.

This pile of garbage is made up of what seems to be processed household refuse, chopped up plastics, expanded polystyrene, tires and other everyday items.

It constitutes just one of 517 unauthorized sites throughout the country, at least 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. Such sites encompass a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in the county of Kent.

The overall amount of such larger locations is expected to be larger, as the regulatory body has earlier stated it does not hold records on volume for all illegal dump.

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

Organized Activity

Law enforcement say a significant number are managed by organized crime groups, who are generating money by charging much less than legitimate companies to accept and landfill garbage.

Companies have to be liable for site fees to use legitimate landfill sites, depending on the amount and category of material they are trying to discard, and landfill tax is also charged at just over £126 per tonne.

Public Frustration

Preparation work to clear the affected dump started recently due to worries over the threat of fire and the consequences that would have on the nearby A-road.

A commercial clean-up contractor has been given the job to deal with the area over the coming 12 months period at a price of £9.6m.

An compliance official for the national environmental crime unit said that the agency would be looking to claim back the clearance expenses under proceeds of crime legislation from any individual successfully prosecuted at the conclusion of its ongoing inquiry.

She further stated that this week's apprehensions would help "move the investigation forward" and allow authorities to "pursue more lines of inquiry to understand precisely what happened and who was implicated".

"This unlawful dump at the site was an appalling and calculated affront on our natural surroundings and officials share the community's frustration at this terrible crime," she remarked.

A government representative welcomed the detentions, stating: "The unauthorized dumping of garbage at this location is appalling and has resulted in considerable damage to the ecology and distress to the nearby community.

"Our government is dedicated to stamping out this type of criminality throughout the UK, by increasing resources to combat illegal dumping, recruiting more personnel and introducing tougher controls and sanctions for those who violate the regulations."

The arrests were made on a recent Thursday by agents from a dedicated serious crime team and follow an previous detention of a 39-year-old from the Surrey area in the autumn. He was set free pending additional investigations.