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A pair of individuals have been detained as part of an inquiry into the dumping of thousands of tonnes of rubbish in a open field in Oxfordshire, England.

Officials reported that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a property in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was detained in Slough in relation with the enormous mound of waste tipped near the area of Kidlington.

These arrests occur a week after a previous report which revealed the existence of in excess of 500 unauthorized tips across England, encompassing at a minimum of 11 so-called "large-scale sites" larger than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the regulatory body stated that the detentions were for ecological and financial violations and were a "key step" in continuing investigations. The two individuals have been set free on bail.

Magnitude of the Issue

The dump in Kidlington, located between the river Cherwell and the A34, is believed to house approximately 21,000 tons of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) tall.

This pile of waste is composed of what looks to be treated residential rubbish, chopped up plastic materials, polystyrene, tires and assorted everyday objects.

It is just one of 517 unlawful dumps in England, at least 11 of which contain more than 20,000 tonnes of waste. These encompass a 280,000-tonne location in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in the county of Kent.

The total amount of such larger locations is likely to be greater, as the environment authority has earlier acknowledged it does not hold information on volume for all unauthorized dump.

A large proportion of sites are in rural locations, often concealed, and on land that is zoned as farm property.

Organised Activity

Police say numerous are operated by organised crime gangs, who are generating money by demanding much less than lawful companies to take and bury garbage.

Companies have to be liable for gate fees to use lawful disposal sites, depending on the amount and nature of material they are trying to dispose of, and a disposal levy is also levied at just over £126 per ton.

Public Frustration

Preparatory work to clear the Kidlington site began earlier this month following concerns over the risk of blaze and the impact that would have on the adjacent A-road.

A private waste removal company has been given the task to handle the location over the following 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An enforcement manager for the country's environmental crime team commented that the authority would be aiming to recoup the clean-up costs under confiscation legislation from any individual ultimately prosecuted at the end of its current case.

She added that these detentions would help "move the probe forward" and enable authorities to "follow more lines of inquiry to determine in detail what transpired and who was implicated".

"This unauthorized site at Kidlington was an atrocious and deliberate assault on our environment and we understand the community's frustration at this egregious act," she said.

A senior representative praised the detentions, commenting: "This unauthorized dumping of garbage at Kidlington is appalling and has resulted in significant damage to the natural world and anguish to the nearby population.

"Our government is pledged to stamping out this kind of illegal activity across the nation, by augmenting financing to combat illegal dumping, employing more staff and implementing stricter measures and penalties for those who break the law."

The detentions were executed on the specified day by agents from a regional serious crime squad and are in addition to an prior arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford region in last November. He was let go subject to further enquiries.