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A pair of individuals have been detained as a component of an inquiry into the dumping of several thousand of tons of refuse in a field in Oxfordshire.

Law enforcement reported that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a dwelling in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was detained in Slough in relation with the huge pile of waste deposited near Kidlington.

These apprehensions come after a previous investigation which exposed the presence of in excess of 500 unlawful tips in England, featuring at minimum 11 so-called "super sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

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

Scale of the Problem

The tipping ground in Kidlington, situated between the Cherwell River and the A34 highway, is estimated to house around 21,000 tons of rubbish in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) tall.

This heap of rubbish is consists of what looks to be sorted domestic rubbish, shredded plastic materials, polystyrene, automobile tires and other domestic objects.

It is just a single of 517 unlawful sites in England, at least 11 of which hold in excess of 20,000 tonnes of waste. Such sites include a 280,000-tonne area in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The overall figure of such bigger locations is expected to be higher, as the environment authority has previously acknowledged it does not hold data on volume for all unauthorized site.

Most such locations are in agricultural settings, frequently hidden, and on land that is zoned as farm property.

Organised Enterprise

Law enforcement report many are run by organized crime groups, who are making money by charging far less than licensed operators to take and bury waste.

Companies have to pay gate fees to use legitimate disposal sites, depending on the amount and nature of refuse they are trying to get rid of, and a waste tax is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Public Anger

Initial efforts to clear the affected site began earlier this month amid fears over the threat of combustion and the impact that would have on the close-by A-road.

A private waste clearance firm has been granted the contract to handle the site over the following 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An enforcement officer for the country's environment team commented that the body would be seeking to recoup the remediation costs under confiscation laws from any party ultimately found guilty at the conclusion of its ongoing case.

She further stated that this week's detentions would help "move the inquiry forward" and permit the agency to "investigate more leads to determine precisely what happened and who was involved".

"This unauthorized dump at the site was an atrocious and deliberate affront on our environment and officials share the public's anger at this horrific offence," she remarked.

A government official welcomed the actions, stating: "The unauthorized dumping of waste at the site is appalling and has led to substantial damage to the ecology and anguish to the surrounding community.

"The administration is committed to stamping out this category of illegal activity in the nation, by boosting resources to tackle waste crime, hiring more staff and implementing more severe checks and penalties for those who flout the law."

The detentions were carried out on the specified day by personnel from a regional organised crime unit and come after an earlier detention of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area in November. He was released subject to more inquiries.