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Two men have been taken into custody as a component of an probe into the dumping of thousands of tons of refuse in a field in Oxfordshire.

Authorities indicated that a man in his late sixties was apprehended at a residence in the town of Andover, while a man in his fifties was taken into custody in Slough, Berkshire in association with the enormous mound of waste tipped near the area of Kidlington.

These apprehensions follow a prior revelation which exposed the existence of over 500 unlawful sites throughout the country of England, encompassing at minimum 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 tons.

A representative for the environmental body commented that the apprehensions were for ecological and financial offences and represented a "crucial step" in continuing probes. The apprehended men have been let go on pre-trial release.

Scale of the Issue

The illegal site in the Kidlington area, situated between the River Cherwell and the A34 highway, is thought to hold about 21,000 tonnes of waste in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) in height.

This heap of waste is composed of what appears to be sorted domestic waste, shredded plastic items, Styrofoam, tires and various household objects.

It is just one example of 517 unlawful sites across the country, at minimum 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 tonnes of waste. They encompass a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The overall number of such major sites is probably to be greater, as the regulatory authority has previously indicated it does not hold records on weight for all illegal dump.

The majority such locations are in countryside locations, frequently out of sight, and on land that should be agricultural land.

Criminal Operations

Authorities report many are run by organized crime groups, who are making profit by asking for much less than legitimate companies to take and landfill waste.

Companies have to be liable for site fees to use licensed disposal sites, based on the volume and category of waste they are trying to discard, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Community Outrage

Preparation efforts to clear the Kidlington area location started earlier this month amid worries over the risk of combustion and the effect that would have on the close-by A-road.

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

An enforcement manager for the country's environmental crime team stated that the agency would be looking to claim back the clearance expenses under asset recovery legislation from any party ultimately convicted at the conclusion of its current investigation.

She further stated that this week's detentions would help "drive the inquiry forward" and permit the agency to "investigate more leads to determine in detail what transpired and who was implicated".

"This unauthorized tip at the site was an appalling and deliberate attack on our natural surroundings and the authorities understand the public's anger at this terrible crime," she stated.

A cabinet representative praised the detentions, commenting: "The unlawful tipping of waste at Kidlington is utterly appalling and has led to considerable damage to the ecology and anguish to the local community.

"The government is pledged to stamping out this type of illegal activity across the UK, by boosting financing to combat illegal dumping, hiring more officers and enacting more severe checks and fines for those who violate the regulations."

The arrests were executed on Thursday by personnel from a regional serious crime unit and are in addition to an prior apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area in November. He was let go subject to further inquiries.