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Two men have been taken into custody as part of an investigation into the dumping of several thousand of tonnes of refuse in a field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Officials reported that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in Slough, Berkshire in association with the huge heap of garbage deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests occur a week after a previous investigation which uncovered the presence of more than 500 unlawful dumps across England, encompassing at minimum 11 so-called "super sites" larger than 20,000 metric tons.

A spokeswoman for the environmental authorities stated that the arrests were for ecological and financial offences and were a "crucial step" in active inquiries. The apprehended men have been released on conditional release.

Size of the Problem

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

This heap of garbage is consists of what appears to be sorted domestic rubbish, shredded plastic items, Styrofoam, automobile tires and assorted household articles.

It constitutes just one example of 517 illegal tips throughout the country, at least 11 of which contain over 20,000 tonnes of waste. They feature 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 the county of Kent.

The overall amount of such major sites is likely to be greater, as the regulatory agency has in the past stated it does not possess data on tonnage for each unauthorized tip.

The majority sites are in countryside settings, often concealed, and on land that should be arable land.

Organized Enterprise

Authorities report many are run by organised crime gangs, who are earning profit by demanding much less than licensed firms to accept and bury garbage.

Businesses have to pay site fees to use licensed disposal sites, contingent on the amount and nature of waste they are trying to get rid of, and landfill tax is also levied at just over £126 per ton.

Public Frustration

Initial work to remove the Kidlington site began recently following fears over the risk of fire and the effect that would have on the close-by highway.

A private clean-up contractor has been granted the task to remediate the site over the next 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An enforcement officer for the government environment division stated that the agency would be aiming to recoup the clearance funds under proceeds of crime laws from anyone ultimately prosecuted at the termination of its active inquiry.

She further stated that these detentions would help "drive the probe forward" and permit officials to "pursue more lines of inquiry to understand precisely what transpired and who was implicated".

"This unlawful site at Kidlington was an appalling and calculated assault on our natural surroundings and we understand the local frustration at this horrific crime," she said.

A senior official supported the actions, commenting: "The unauthorized deposit of garbage at Kidlington is utterly appalling and has led to significant damage to the environment and anguish to the local population.

"The government is pledged to eradicating this type of illegal activity throughout the country, by boosting financing to address illegal dumping, employing more officers and introducing tougher controls and sanctions for those who violate the law."

The apprehensions were carried out on a recent Thursday by agents from a dedicated crime team and follow an previous detention of a man in his thirties from the Guildford region in the autumn. He was let go awaiting additional investigations.