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A pair of individuals have been taken into custody as part of an inquiry into the illegal deposit of several thousand of metric tons of waste in a field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Officials reported that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a property in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough in relation with the huge mound of rubbish tipped near Kidlington.

These apprehensions follow a prior report which revealed the operation of more than 500 illegal sites across England, featuring at least 11 so-called "large-scale sites" greater than 20,000 tonnes.

A spokeswoman for the environmental agency commented that the apprehensions were for environment-related and proceeds of crime offences and were a "vital step" in ongoing probes. Both men have been let go on bail.

Size of the Issue

The illegal site in the Kidlington area, positioned between the river Cherwell and the A34, is estimated to house around 21,000 metric tons of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) tall.

This pile of garbage is consists of what appears to be processed domestic waste, chopped up plastic materials, expanded polystyrene, automobile tires and other household items.

It is just one example of 517 unlawful sites in the country, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold more than 20,000 metric tons of rubbish. They feature a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The overall figure of such major sites is likely to be larger, as the regulatory authority has in the past indicated it does not hold information on tonnage for all unlawful site.

The majority sites are in agricultural locations, typically concealed, and on land that should be arable ground.

Organized Operations

Law enforcement say numerous are operated by criminal organizations, who are generating money by charging significantly less than licensed firms to accept and bury garbage.

Businesses have to incur disposal fees to use lawful landfill sites, contingent on the volume and category of material they are trying to dispose of, and a disposal levy is also levied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Community Outrage

Initial work to remove the Kidlington dump started recently due to fears over the potential of blaze and the effect that would have on the close-by highway.

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

An investigations officer for the government environmental crime unit said that the agency would be aiming to recover the clearance expenses under confiscation laws from any individual successfully convicted at the end of its current case.

She further stated that the recent apprehensions would help "push the investigation forward" and allow authorities to "follow more lines of inquiry to understand in detail what transpired and who was a party to it".

"The unlawful tip at this location was an shocking and calculated affront on our ecology and the authorities understand the public's anger at this horrific crime," she remarked.

A government minister welcomed the actions, stating: "The illegal dumping of rubbish at Kidlington is appalling and has caused considerable damage to the ecology and anguish to the nearby community.

"The administration is pledged to stamping out this kind of crime in the nation, by augmenting financing to tackle illegal dumping, employing more personnel and implementing stricter controls and penalties for those who violate the regulations."

The arrests were carried out on a recent Thursday by agents from a regional crime unit and come after an prior apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area area in the autumn. He was set free awaiting further investigations.