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Two individuals have been detained as a component of an probe into the illegal deposit of many thousands of metric tons of rubbish in a rural field in Oxfordshire.

Officials indicated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a man in his fifties was detained in Slough in association with the huge mound of rubbish tipped near the area of Kidlington.

These apprehensions come after a recent investigation which exposed the operation of more than 500 unauthorized sites across England, featuring at a minimum of 11 so-called "major sites" larger than 20,000 metric tons.

A official for the environment body stated that the apprehensions were for ecological and proceeds of crime violations and represented a "key step" in active probes. Both men have been released on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Problem

The illegal site in Kidlington, situated between the Cherwell River and the A34 highway, is thought to house approximately 21,000 tonnes of waste in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) tall.

This heap of waste is consists of what looks to be sorted domestic refuse, fragmented plastic materials, polystyrene, tires and other everyday items.

It represents just one of 517 unauthorized tips across England, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold in excess of 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. These feature a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The total number of such larger sites is probably to be larger, as the environmental agency has earlier stated it does not maintain records on volume for all illegal dump.

Most sites are in countryside settings, frequently out of sight, and on land that should be arable land.

Organized Enterprise

Authorities state numerous are run by organised crime gangs, who are generating cash by asking for significantly less than legitimate firms to take and dispose of waste.

Businesses have to be liable for gate fees to use legitimate waste facilities, depending on the volume and nature of waste they are trying to get rid of, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Local Frustration

Initial operations to remove the Kidlington site began in recent weeks amid concerns over the threat of fire and the effect that would have on the adjacent highway.

A commercial waste removal contractor has been awarded the task to deal with the location over the following 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An investigations officer for the government environmental crime division stated that the body would be seeking to recover the clean-up expenses under proceeds of crime laws from anyone ultimately prosecuted at the termination of its active investigation.

She added that these apprehensions would help "drive the inquiry forward" and allow authorities to "investigate more avenues to understand in detail what happened and who was implicated".

"This illegal tip at this location was an appalling and intentional assault on our ecology and officials share the community's outrage at this egregious crime," she said.

A cabinet minister supported the actions, stating: "This unlawful tipping of garbage at this location is disgraceful and has resulted in significant damage to the ecology and distress to the nearby population.

"The administration is committed to eradicating this kind of illegal activity across the country, by boosting financing to tackle illegal dumping, hiring more officers and enacting stricter checks and penalties for those who flout the law."

The apprehensions were carried out on a recent Thursday by personnel from a specialist organised crime unit and come after an prior detention of a 39-year-old from the Surrey region in November. He was set free pending further enquiries.