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Two men have been detained as an element of an probe into the dumping of several thousand of tons of refuse in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities stated that a man in his late sixties was apprehended at a property in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in Slough in connection with the huge heap of waste dumped near Kidlington.

These apprehensions come after a prior revelation which exposed the presence of in excess of 500 illegal dumps across England, encompassing at a minimum of 11 so-called "super sites" larger than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the environment body said that the arrests were for environment-related and financial crimes and constituted a "key step" in continuing investigations. The apprehended men have been let go on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Issue

The dump in Kidlington, situated between the River Cherwell and the A34 road, is thought to hold around 21,000 metric tons of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) in height.

This mound of rubbish is made up of what seems to be treated residential waste, chopped up plastic materials, polystyrene, tyres and assorted everyday items.

It represents just one of 517 illegal sites throughout England, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold more than 20,000 metric tons of garbage. These include a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The actual figure of such larger sites is probably to be larger, as the environment authority has in the past indicated it does not possess records on volume for all unlawful tip.

The majority such locations are in rural locations, frequently concealed, and on land that should be agricultural property.

Organised Activity

Authorities say numerous are managed by organized crime groups, who are making money by asking for much less than lawful operators to take and bury garbage.

Companies have to pay site fees to use legitimate waste facilities, depending on the volume and category of refuse they are trying to discard, and a waste tax is also applied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Local Frustration

Preparation operations to remove the affected site started earlier this month following concerns over the risk of fire and the consequences that would have on the adjacent major road.

A contracted waste clearance contractor has been awarded the task to handle the location over the next 12 months period at a cost of £9.6m.

An investigations officer for the national regulatory division stated that the body would be seeking to recover the clean-up expenses under asset recovery laws from any party convicted at the conclusion of its ongoing case.

She noted that the recent apprehensions would help "drive the investigation forward" and allow the agency to "follow more lines of inquiry to understand precisely what occurred and who was a party to it".

"The unauthorized dump at this location was an atrocious and calculated affront on our environment and we empathize with the local outrage at this terrible act," she stated.

A cabinet official praised the actions, stating: "The unlawful tipping of rubbish at this location is appalling and has led to significant harm to the ecology and anguish to the nearby residents.

"The administration is dedicated to eliminating this category of crime in the UK, by augmenting funds to combat environmental crime, employing more staff and implementing more severe checks and penalties for those who violate the regulations."

The arrests were made on the specified day by agents from a regional organised crime team and follow an earlier arrest of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area area in November. He was let go pending further enquiries.