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Two individuals have been taken into custody as part of an inquiry into the tipping of thousands of tonnes of waste in a field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Law enforcement indicated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a dwelling in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in Slough, Berkshire in connection with the enormous pile of garbage dumped near the area of Kidlington.

These apprehensions come after a prior revelation which exposed the operation of more than 500 illegal tips throughout England, encompassing at least 11 so-called "major sites" larger than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the regulatory authorities commented that the arrests were for environment-related and financial offences and constituted a "vital step" in continuing inquiries. The apprehended men have been released on bail.

Size of the Issue

The dump in the Kidlington area, situated between the River Cherwell and the A34, is thought to contain about 21,000 tonnes of rubbish in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) high.

This mound of garbage is composed of what looks to be processed residential waste, fragmented plastics, polystyrene, tires and various everyday articles.

It is just one of 517 unauthorized tips across England, at a minimum of 11 of which hold in excess of 20,000 metric tons of rubbish. These feature a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in the county of Kent.

The actual number of such larger sites is expected to be higher, as the regulatory body has in the past stated it does not hold data on tonnage for each unlawful tip.

The majority these sites are in rural areas, frequently concealed, and on land that should be arable property.

Organised Enterprise

Authorities say numerous are managed by organised crime gangs, who are making cash by asking for far less than lawful companies to take and landfill rubbish.

Businesses have to be liable for gate fees to use legitimate waste facilities, based on the quantity and type of waste they are trying to get rid of, and landfill tax is also levied at just over £126 per tonne.

Community Anger

Initial work to clear the affected dump commenced earlier this month following fears over the risk of fire and the consequences that would have on the close-by major road.

A contracted clean-up company has been awarded the contract to handle the location over the next 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An investigations official for the country's environment team said that the body would be seeking to recover the clearance expenses under asset recovery legislation from any party ultimately found guilty at the termination of its current investigation.

She added that the recent detentions would help "drive the investigation forward" and allow authorities to "follow more lines of inquiry to understand exactly what occurred and who was involved".

"The illegal site at the site was an appalling and calculated affront on our natural surroundings and the authorities empathize with the community's anger at this egregious offence," she said.

A cabinet official praised the arrests, adding: "This illegal tipping of rubbish at the site is appalling and has resulted in substantial harm to the environment and anguish to the local residents.

"The administration is pledged to stamping out this category of crime throughout the UK, by increasing financing to tackle illegal dumping, recruiting more personnel and introducing more severe controls and penalties for those who violate the law."

The detentions were executed on the specified day by officers from a dedicated crime squad and come after an prior arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area in last November. He was released subject to further investigations.