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A pair of individuals have been detained as a component of an inquiry into the illegal deposit of several thousand of tonnes of waste in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

Officials stated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was arrested in the town of Slough in association with the massive mound of garbage deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These detentions follow a previous investigation which uncovered the operation of in excess of 500 unlawful tips across England, including at least 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the environment authorities said that the arrests were for ecological and financial offences and were a "crucial step" in continuing investigations. The apprehended men have been set free on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Problem

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

This heap of rubbish is consists of what seems to be processed household refuse, shredded plastic items, polystyrene, tires and other household objects.

It constitutes just one of 517 unlawful sites in England, at a minimum of 11 of which contain over 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. These encompass a 280,000-tonne location in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The actual figure of such major sites is likely to be greater, as the environmental agency has earlier stated it does not possess data on weight for each unlawful site.

Most these sites are in agricultural areas, often concealed, and on land that is zoned as agricultural land.

Organised Activity

Police say many are operated by criminal organizations, who are earning money by asking for significantly less than licensed firms to receive and bury waste.

Firms have to pay disposal fees to use legitimate disposal sites, depending on the volume and type of material they are trying to get rid of, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Community Frustration

Initial work to remove the affected location started earlier this month amid fears over the risk of combustion and the impact that would have on the nearby highway.

A commercial clean-up contractor has been given the contract to deal with the area over the next 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An enforcement manager for the national environmental crime unit stated that the agency would be seeking to claim back the remediation funds under proceeds of crime legislation from any party found guilty at the end of its ongoing inquiry.

She further stated that the recent apprehensions would help "push the investigation forward" and allow authorities to "follow more avenues to understand precisely what transpired and who was implicated".

"This illegal site at Kidlington was an atrocious and calculated attack on our environment and we empathize with the local anger at this terrible offence," she remarked.

A cabinet representative welcomed the actions, stating: "The unauthorized deposit of rubbish at this location is utterly appalling and has caused significant damage to the environment and distress to the local population.

"The government is pledged to stamping out this type of criminality across the nation, by increasing resources to tackle environmental crime, recruiting more officers and enacting more severe controls and penalties for those who break the regulations."

The apprehensions were carried out on Thursday by officers from a specialist serious crime team and follow an prior apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Surrey area in the autumn. He was released subject to additional enquiries.