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Two individuals have been taken into custody as a component of an inquiry into the dumping of several thousand of tons of rubbish in a rural field in Oxfordshire.

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

These apprehensions follow a prior revelation which revealed the presence of over 500 illegal tips across the country of England, featuring at a minimum of 11 so-called "super sites" larger than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the environment authorities commented that the arrests were for environmental and financial offences and constituted a "vital step" in active inquiries. The apprehended men have been set free on bail.

Size of the Issue

The tipping ground in the Kidlington area, located between the river Cherwell and the A34 road, is estimated to hold approximately 21,000 metric tons of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) tall.

This heap of waste is made up of what appears to be sorted residential waste, chopped up plastic items, expanded polystyrene, automobile tires and assorted everyday objects.

It constitutes just one example of 517 unauthorized tips in England, at least 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 tons of rubbish. They include a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The total amount of such major sites is probably to be greater, as the environmental authority has earlier acknowledged it does not maintain records on weight for each unauthorized tip.

Most such locations are in agricultural settings, often hidden, and on land that should be agricultural ground.

Criminal Enterprise

Law enforcement state many are run by organised crime gangs, who are earning profit by demanding far less than licensed operators to receive and dispose of garbage.

Businesses have to pay site fees to use licensed disposal sites, based on the quantity and category of material they are trying to dispose of, and a waste tax is also levied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Community Outrage

Preparation work to clean up the Kidlington location started in recent weeks following concerns over the potential of fire and the impact that would have on the adjacent major road.

A contracted waste clearance contractor has been granted the job to handle the area over the following 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An compliance official for the national regulatory unit said that the authority would be looking to recoup the clean-up expenses under proceeds of crime laws from anyone ultimately found guilty at the end of its active case.

She further stated that this week's arrests would help "push the probe forward" and enable the agency to "pursue more leads to ascertain exactly what occurred and who was involved".

"This illegal tip at this location was an appalling and intentional assault on our natural surroundings and the authorities share the public's outrage at this terrible offence," she remarked.

A senior minister supported the arrests, stating: "This unlawful tipping of waste at this location is utterly appalling and has caused substantial harm to the natural world and anguish to the nearby community.

"The administration is pledged to eradicating this type of crime throughout the UK, by augmenting resources to address illegal dumping, employing more staff and introducing stricter measures and fines for those who flout the law."

The arrests were made on Thursday by officers from a regional organised crime unit and follow an prior detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area in the autumn. He was released subject to additional investigations.