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A pair of individuals have been detained as part of an inquiry into the illegal deposit of many thousands of tons of refuse in a rural field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Officials reported that a 69-year-old was detained at a dwelling in Andover, Hampshire, while a man in his fifties was arrested in Slough, Berkshire in relation with the enormous mound of waste dumped near Kidlington.

These apprehensions come after a previous investigation which exposed the operation of in excess of 500 unauthorized tips throughout England, encompassing at least 11 so-called "large-scale sites" bigger than 20,000 tons.

A official for the regulatory authorities said that the detentions were for environmental and proceeds of crime crimes and constituted a "vital step" in active inquiries. The apprehended men have been set free on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Problem

The tipping ground in near Kidlington, positioned between the River Cherwell and the A34, is estimated to hold about 21,000 tonnes of refuse in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) tall.

This pile of garbage is made up of what looks to be processed household refuse, chopped up plastic materials, Styrofoam, automobile tires and other household items.

It constitutes just one of 517 unauthorized dumps throughout England, at minimum 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 metric tons of garbage. Such sites encompass a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in the county of Kent.

The total number of such bigger sites is expected to be greater, as the environment agency has previously acknowledged it does not maintain information on volume for every unlawful site.

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

Organised Activity

Law enforcement say numerous are run by organized crime groups, who are generating money by demanding much less than licensed operators to take and dispose of garbage.

Companies have to pay disposal fees to use legitimate landfill sites, depending on the quantity and type of refuse they are trying to get rid of, and a waste tax is also levied at just over £126 per ton.

Public Outrage

Initial operations to clean up the Kidlington area dump started in recent weeks following concerns over the potential of fire and the impact that would have on the nearby major road.

A commercial waste clearance firm has been awarded the task to remediate the location over the next 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An investigations manager for the national regulatory unit commented that the authority would be looking to recover the remediation costs under proceeds of crime laws from any party prosecuted at the conclusion of its ongoing inquiry.

She noted that the recent detentions would help "push the inquiry forward" and permit authorities to "follow more leads to ascertain exactly what transpired and who was involved".

"This unlawful tip at this location was an atrocious and calculated affront on our natural surroundings and officials understand the local anger at this terrible crime," she remarked.

A senior representative praised the detentions, adding: "The illegal tipping of rubbish at this location is disgraceful and has resulted in significant harm to the ecology and upset to the surrounding community.

"The government is pledged to eliminating this type of illegal activity throughout the country, by augmenting financing to tackle illegal dumping, recruiting more staff and enacting tougher controls and fines for those who break the regulations."

The detentions were executed on Thursday by agents from a dedicated organised crime unit and follow an prior arrest of a man in his thirties from the Surrey area in the autumn. He was released subject to further enquiries.