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Two individuals have been detained as part of an inquiry into the tipping of many thousands of tonnes of waste in a rural field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities reported that a 69-year-old was arrested at a residence in Hampshire's Andover, while a man in his fifties was taken into custody in Slough in connection with the enormous pile of rubbish tipped near Kidlington.

These detentions follow a previous revelation which uncovered the presence of over 500 unlawful dumps in England, featuring at a minimum of 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

A official for the environment agency stated that the apprehensions were for ecological and proceeds of crime offences and represented a "key step" in continuing inquiries. Both men have been let go on conditional release.

Size of the Issue

The tipping ground in Kidlington, situated between the Cherwell River and the A34 highway, is believed to house approximately 21,000 tonnes of waste in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) high.

This heap of garbage is composed of what appears to be processed residential waste, shredded plastics, Styrofoam, automobile tires and various everyday items.

It constitutes just one example of 517 illegal tips across the country, at least 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 metric tons of garbage. They include a 280,000-tonne location in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire county and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The total figure of such major sites is likely to be larger, as the regulatory authority has earlier indicated it does not hold records on weight for all unlawful site.

A large proportion of sites are in rural settings, frequently hidden, and on land that should be farm land.

Organized Activity

Police report many are run by criminal organizations, who are generating cash by charging far less than legitimate companies to accept and bury waste.

Firms have to be liable for gate fees to use licensed disposal sites, based on the quantity and category of refuse they are trying to dispose of, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Public Outrage

Initial operations to remove the Kidlington dump commenced earlier this month amid concerns over the potential of blaze and the effect that would have on the nearby highway.

A contracted clean-up company has been awarded the job to handle the location over the following 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An enforcement officer for the country's regulatory unit stated that the body would be seeking to recoup the clearance costs under proceeds of crime legislation from any party ultimately prosecuted at the termination of its current case.

She added that the recent arrests would help "move the inquiry forward" and permit the agency to "pursue more leads to understand exactly what occurred and who was involved".

"This unauthorized dump at Kidlington was an appalling and calculated affront on our ecology and we understand the local outrage at this terrible crime," she said.

A government official praised the arrests, adding: "The unauthorized dumping of waste at the site is appalling and has caused considerable harm to the natural world and anguish to the surrounding community.

"The authorities is dedicated to eradicating this type of criminality across the nation, by augmenting resources to tackle waste crime, hiring more officers and implementing tougher controls and penalties for those who flout the law."

The arrests were made on a recent Thursday by personnel from a regional serious crime squad and follow an earlier apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford region in the autumn. He was released pending more inquiries.