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

Officials indicated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a property in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough, Berkshire in connection with the huge heap of waste dumped near Kidlington.

These apprehensions come after a previous investigation which uncovered the presence of more than 500 unauthorized tips in England, featuring at a minimum of 11 so-called "super sites" bigger than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the environmental body said that the detentions were for environmental and proceeds of crime crimes and constituted a "key step" in ongoing investigations. The two individuals have been set free on pre-trial release.

Size of the Situation

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

This heap of waste is consists of what seems to be sorted household waste, fragmented plastic materials, polystyrene, tires and assorted everyday objects.

It is just one example of 517 unlawful dumps in the country, at a minimum of 11 of which contain over 20,000 tons of rubbish. These include a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The total amount of such bigger locations is likely to be larger, as the regulatory body has previously stated it does not hold data on weight for all unlawful dump.

The majority these sites are in rural settings, often hidden, and on land that is intended to be agricultural ground.

Criminal Enterprise

Police state a significant number are operated by organised crime gangs, who are generating cash by asking for far less than lawful firms to receive and bury waste.

Businesses have to pay site fees to use licensed landfill sites, contingent on the quantity and nature of refuse they are trying to get rid of, and landfill tax is also charged at just over £126 per metric ton.

Community Anger

Initial operations to clear the Kidlington location commenced earlier this month amid concerns over the risk of fire and the impact that would have on the nearby major road.

A private waste clearance company has been given the contract to remediate the area over the following 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An compliance official for the government environment division said that the body would be aiming to recoup the clearance costs under confiscation laws from any party ultimately prosecuted at the end of its active case.

She noted that the recent detentions would help "drive the inquiry forward" and allow authorities to "follow more leads to ascertain exactly what transpired and who was a party to it".

"The unauthorized tip at Kidlington was an atrocious and intentional affront on our ecology and we share the local anger at this horrific offence," she remarked.

A government official welcomed the actions, stating: "This unauthorized tipping of rubbish at this location is utterly appalling and has caused substantial damage to the ecology and upset to the surrounding community.

"Our government is committed to stamping out this category of crime in the UK, by augmenting resources to tackle environmental crime, employing more officers and implementing stricter checks and penalties for those who break the law."

The apprehensions were made on a recent Thursday by agents from a dedicated serious crime unit and are in addition to an prior arrest of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area area in November. He was set free pending more enquiries.