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A pair of individuals have been arrested as an element of an probe into the dumping of several thousand of tons of refuse in a rural field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Officials reported that a man in his late sixties was apprehended at a dwelling in the town of Andover, while a man in his fifties was taken into custody in Slough, Berkshire in relation with the enormous mound of waste dumped near the area of Kidlington.

These apprehensions follow a prior investigation which uncovered the existence of over 500 unauthorized dumps across England, featuring at a minimum of 11 so-called "super sites" bigger than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the environmental authorities stated that the apprehensions were for ecological and proceeds of crime crimes and represented a "vital step" in active probes. The two individuals have been let go on pre-trial release.

Scale of the Situation

The dump in the Kidlington area, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34 road, is believed to contain approximately 21,000 metric tons of waste in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) tall.

This heap of waste is composed of what appears to be processed household rubbish, fragmented plastic materials, Styrofoam, tyres and assorted household items.

It represents just a single of 517 unauthorized sites in England, at minimum 11 of which contain more than 20,000 metric tons of garbage. Such sites encompass a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in the county of Kent.

The actual amount of such major locations is probably to be larger, as the regulatory body has previously indicated it does not maintain data on volume for every illegal tip.

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

Criminal Activity

Authorities state numerous are managed by criminal organizations, who are earning money by asking for far less than licensed companies to receive and landfill rubbish.

Firms have to be liable for disposal fees to use lawful disposal sites, contingent on the quantity and category of material they are trying to dispose of, and landfill tax is also charged at just over £126 per tonne.

Public Outrage

Preparation efforts to remove the affected location started in recent weeks following fears over the threat of blaze and the consequences that would have on the adjacent A-road.

A private waste removal company has been awarded the task to deal with the site over the coming 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An enforcement official for the national regulatory division stated that the body would be seeking to claim back the clean-up costs under asset recovery acts from anyone convicted at the termination of its ongoing case.

She further stated that these arrests would help "push the probe forward" and permit the agency to "investigate more lines of inquiry to ascertain exactly what occurred and who was involved".

"The illegal site at the site was an atrocious and calculated affront on our environment and we understand the public's outrage at this terrible offence," she stated.

A government representative praised the actions, stating: "This unlawful deposit of rubbish at Kidlington is disgraceful and has caused substantial detriment to the natural world and distress to the local population.

"Our government is pledged to stamping out this type of criminality throughout the country, by augmenting financing to address waste crime, employing more staff and enacting more severe checks and penalties for those who break the rules."

The arrests were made on the specified day by officers from a regional organised crime squad and follow an previous apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford region in last November. He was let go awaiting further investigations.