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A pair of individuals have been detained as part of an investigation into the illegal deposit of several thousand of tonnes of waste in a rural field in Oxfordshire.

Authorities indicated that a 69-year-old was detained at a dwelling in the town of Andover, while a man in his fifties was detained in Slough, Berkshire in relation with the huge heap of garbage dumped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These apprehensions come after a previous report which revealed the operation of in excess of 500 unauthorized dumps across England, including at minimum 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 tons.

A representative for the environment agency stated that the detentions were for environmental and financial crimes and were a "key step" in continuing inquiries. The two individuals have been let go on bail.

Scale of the Situation

The dump in near Kidlington, positioned between the river Cherwell and the A34, is believed to hold approximately 21,000 tons of refuse in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) in height.

This mound of rubbish is made up of what appears to be sorted domestic refuse, shredded plastic materials, Styrofoam, automobile tires and assorted household articles.

It represents just a single of 517 unauthorized sites across England, at least 11 of which contain more than 20,000 metric tons of rubbish. These include a 280,000-tonne area in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire county and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The total amount of such bigger sites is expected to be greater, as the environment body has in the past stated it does not hold information on weight for every illegal site.

Most such locations are in countryside settings, typically concealed, and on land that is intended to be farm property.

Organised Activity

Law enforcement report numerous are operated by criminal organizations, who are generating profit by asking for much less than legitimate companies to take and bury garbage.

Firms have to pay site fees to use legitimate disposal sites, contingent on the volume and type of material they are trying to get rid of, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over £126 per tonne.

Public Anger

Preparation operations to remove the Kidlington area site started in recent weeks due to worries over the potential of combustion and the effect that would have on the adjacent A-road.

A private waste clearance firm has been granted the contract to remediate the area over the next 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An enforcement manager for the national environment team stated that the body would be seeking to claim back the clean-up expenses under proceeds of crime legislation from anyone ultimately convicted at the termination of its active case.

She noted that the recent arrests would help "push the probe forward" and enable officials to "follow more avenues to determine in detail what occurred and who was implicated".

"The unauthorized site at the site was an atrocious and calculated affront on our natural surroundings and we empathize with the public's anger at this egregious crime," she remarked.

A senior official supported the actions, stating: "This illegal deposit of waste at Kidlington is disgraceful and has caused substantial damage to the natural world and upset to the local population.

"The government is committed to eliminating this kind of criminality across the UK, by augmenting funds to address waste crime, hiring more staff and implementing tougher checks and fines for those who break the rules."

The apprehensions were made on Thursday by personnel from a regional organised crime team and follow an prior apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Surrey region in last November. He was released subject to further investigations.