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A pair of individuals have been arrested as part of an investigation into the tipping of several thousand of metric tons of waste in a open field in Oxfordshire.

Law enforcement stated that a man in his late sixties was apprehended at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough, Berkshire in association with the enormous pile of garbage dumped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These apprehensions occur a week after a recent revelation which exposed the existence of more than 500 unauthorized sites throughout the country of England, encompassing at a minimum of 11 so-called "super sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the environment authorities stated that the apprehensions were for ecological and proceeds of crime crimes and constituted a "crucial step" in continuing inquiries. Both men have been set free on bail.

Size of the Issue

The illegal site in Kidlington, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34 road, is believed to hold about 21,000 metric tons of waste in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) tall.

This pile of waste is made up of what appears to be treated residential rubbish, chopped up plastic items, expanded polystyrene, automobile tires and assorted domestic objects.

It constitutes just a single of 517 unauthorized dumps across England, at minimum 11 of which hold more than 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. Such sites include a 280,000-tonne site in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The total amount of such larger sites is expected to be higher, as the environmental agency has earlier acknowledged it does not maintain records on volume for all unlawful dump.

The majority sites are in countryside areas, frequently out of sight, and on land that is zoned as arable land.

Organized Operations

Police say numerous are run by criminal organizations, who are earning profit by asking for much less than lawful companies to take and bury waste.

Businesses have to be liable for gate fees to use lawful landfill sites, based on the volume and category of refuse they are trying to discard, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over £126 per tonne.

Community Anger

Preparation work to clean up the Kidlington dump began recently due to fears over the potential of combustion and the impact that would have on the close-by major road.

A contracted waste clearance contractor has been granted the task to deal with the location over the coming 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An investigations officer for the national environment unit commented that the authority would be looking to claim back the clean-up expenses under confiscation acts from anyone prosecuted at the conclusion of its active case.

She added that these apprehensions would help "push the investigation forward" and allow the agency to "investigate more avenues to understand exactly what occurred and who was involved".

"The illegal dump at Kidlington was an appalling and deliberate affront on our ecology and we empathize with the local anger at this terrible offence," she remarked.

A government representative welcomed the actions, adding: "The unauthorized tipping of waste at this location is disgraceful and has led to substantial detriment to the natural world and anguish to the local community.

"Our authorities is dedicated to eradicating this category of criminality throughout the country, by increasing resources to tackle waste crime, employing more officers and enacting more severe measures and fines for those who flout the regulations."

The arrests were carried out on a recent Thursday by officers from a specialist serious crime squad and follow an prior arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area area in last November. He was let go pending further inquiries.