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A pair of individuals have been detained as a component of an investigation into the dumping of several thousand of tons of refuse in a field in Oxfordshire.

Authorities indicated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a property in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in Slough, Berkshire in connection with the huge pile of rubbish deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These apprehensions come after a previous revelation which exposed the presence of over 500 unauthorized dumps in the country of England, encompassing at least 11 so-called "major sites" larger than 20,000 tons.

A spokeswoman for the regulatory agency stated that the detentions were for ecological and proceeds of crime violations and were a "key step" in active probes. Both men have been set free on bail.

Magnitude of the Problem

The dump in the Kidlington area, situated between the Cherwell River and the A34 highway, is believed to house around 21,000 metric tons of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) tall.

This mound of waste is made up of what looks to be processed domestic refuse, shredded plastic materials, expanded polystyrene, automobile tires and assorted household articles.

It represents just one of 517 unauthorized sites throughout the country, at minimum 11 of which hold more than 20,000 tons of garbage. They include a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in the county of Kent.

The actual amount of such major locations is probably to be greater, as the environmental agency has earlier stated it does not maintain information on volume for each unlawful tip.

Most sites are in rural settings, typically hidden, and on land that should be farm property.

Organized Operations

Law enforcement say a significant number are managed by organised crime gangs, who are generating profit by demanding far less than licensed operators to take and bury rubbish.

Firms have to be liable for disposal fees to use lawful waste facilities, based on the quantity and type of material they are trying to dispose of, and a waste tax is also charged at just over £126 per metric ton.

Local Outrage

Preparation operations to clean up the Kidlington site began recently amid worries over the risk of blaze and the effect that would have on the adjacent highway.

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

An enforcement officer for the country's regulatory division said that the agency would be seeking to claim back the clean-up costs under asset recovery legislation from any party found guilty at the conclusion of its current case.

She further stated that these arrests would help "push the probe forward" and enable authorities to "follow more lines of inquiry to ascertain precisely what occurred and who was involved".

"The illegal site at the site was an shocking and intentional affront on our environment and we empathize with the public's anger at this terrible offence," she said.

A government official welcomed the arrests, adding: "The unlawful tipping of garbage at the site is disgraceful and has resulted in significant harm to the natural world and upset to the local residents.

"The administration is dedicated to eradicating this category of illegal activity in the nation, by increasing resources to combat waste crime, hiring more officers and implementing stricter checks and sanctions for those who violate the regulations."

The apprehensions were executed on Thursday by personnel from a regional organised crime team and follow an previous arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area region in last November. He was set free subject to further inquiries.