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A pair of individuals have been taken into custody as part of an probe into the tipping of many thousands of tons of waste in a rural field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Officials reported that a man in his late sixties was arrested at a property in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was arrested in the town of Slough in relation with the massive pile of rubbish tipped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests occur a week after a recent report which revealed the presence of more than 500 unlawful sites across England, including at a minimum of 11 so-called "super sites" larger than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the regulatory body commented that the arrests were for ecological and financial violations and were a "crucial step" in continuing probes. The apprehended men have been set free on bail.

Scale of the Situation

The tipping ground in near Kidlington, located between the Cherwell River and the A34, is thought to house about 21,000 tons of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) in height.

This heap of waste is consists of what looks to be treated residential rubbish, shredded plastic items, expanded polystyrene, tyres and various everyday objects.

It constitutes just one example of 517 unauthorized sites across England, at minimum 11 of which contain more than 20,000 metric tons of waste. Such sites include a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The overall number of such larger locations is likely to be larger, as the environmental agency has previously acknowledged it does not hold records on volume for each unauthorized dump.

A large proportion of these sites are in countryside settings, often concealed, and on land that is zoned as agricultural property.

Criminal Enterprise

Law enforcement report a significant number are operated by organised crime gangs, who are earning cash by asking for much less than lawful companies to receive and bury rubbish.

Firms have to incur gate fees to use licensed landfill sites, contingent on the volume and category of material they are trying to discard, and a waste tax is also levied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Local Frustration

Preparation work to remove the Kidlington location commenced earlier this month due to worries over the potential of blaze and the impact that would have on the close-by major road.

A private clean-up firm has been given the job to deal with the site over the following 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An investigations officer for the country's environmental crime unit commented that the body would be aiming to recoup the clean-up funds under confiscation legislation from anyone ultimately found guilty at the end of its current inquiry.

She noted that these apprehensions would help "drive the probe forward" and enable officials to "follow more avenues to ascertain precisely what occurred and who was involved".

"The illegal dump at the site was an atrocious and deliberate affront on our natural surroundings and officials empathize with the local outrage at this terrible act," she stated.

A government representative praised the arrests, adding: "This unauthorized dumping of rubbish at this location is disgraceful and has led to substantial detriment to the environment and distress to the nearby residents.

"Our administration is committed to eradicating this category of crime in the UK, by augmenting financing to tackle environmental crime, hiring more officers and implementing more severe controls and sanctions for those who flout the regulations."

The arrests were carried out on the specified day by personnel from a regional crime squad and are in addition to an prior apprehension of a man in his thirties from the Surrey region in November. He was released awaiting more investigations.