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A pair of individuals have been taken into custody as an element of an investigation into the illegal deposit of several thousand of metric tons of rubbish in a open field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Law enforcement stated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a residence in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in the town of Slough in relation with the massive heap of waste dumped near Kidlington.

These apprehensions come after a recent revelation which uncovered the existence of in excess of 500 illegal dumps across England, encompassing at least 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the regulatory agency said that the detentions were for environmental and proceeds of crime crimes and represented a "crucial step" in ongoing investigations. The apprehended men have been let go on bail.

Scale of the Situation

The tipping ground in Kidlington, situated between the river Cherwell and the A34, is believed to hold around 21,000 tonnes of refuse in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) high.

This pile of waste is consists of what seems to be processed household refuse, fragmented plastic items, expanded polystyrene, automobile tires and other everyday articles.

It represents just one example of 517 illegal sites across England, at minimum 11 of which are estimated to hold more than 20,000 tonnes of garbage. Such sites encompass a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The total amount of such larger locations is expected to be higher, as the environmental body has previously acknowledged it does not maintain data on volume for every unlawful tip.

The majority such locations are in countryside locations, frequently out of sight, and on land that is intended to be arable ground.

Organized Activity

Law enforcement state a significant number are operated by organised crime gangs, who are earning profit by charging significantly less than lawful companies to receive and landfill rubbish.

Companies have to incur gate fees to use legitimate waste facilities, based on the volume and nature of refuse they are trying to dispose of, and landfill tax is also charged at just over £126 per metric ton.

Public Frustration

Preparatory efforts to clean up the Kidlington dump started earlier this month due to worries over the threat of fire and the impact that would have on the nearby highway.

A private clean-up company has been granted the task to deal with the site over the next 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An investigations officer for the national environment division said that the authority would be aiming to recover the clean-up expenses under confiscation acts from any party prosecuted at the termination of its active case.

She further stated that this week's apprehensions would help "move the investigation forward" and allow officials to "follow more avenues to determine exactly what occurred and who was involved".

"The illegal tip at Kidlington was an shocking and calculated affront on our ecology and the authorities understand the public's anger at this horrific offence," she remarked.

A senior minister praised the detentions, stating: "This unauthorized dumping of rubbish at Kidlington is utterly appalling and has caused significant damage to the ecology and distress to the local residents.

"Our government is dedicated to stamping out this type of criminality across the country, by boosting resources to combat waste crime, employing more officers and introducing tougher checks and fines for those who break the regulations."

The arrests were carried out on a recent Thursday by personnel from a specialist serious crime unit and are in addition to an earlier apprehension of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area area in last November. He was set free awaiting additional enquiries.