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Two men have been arrested as an element of an investigation into the tipping of many thousands of tons of waste in a field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Authorities stated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was arrested in the town of Slough in association with the huge mound of garbage tipped near Kidlington.

These arrests follow a previous revelation which uncovered the existence of more than 500 unauthorized tips throughout England, including at minimum 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

A official for the environment body commented that the arrests were for ecological and money laundering violations and represented a "crucial step" in continuing inquiries. The two individuals have been released on pre-trial release.

Size of the Issue

The illegal site in Kidlington, situated between the river Cherwell and the A34 highway, is believed to hold around 21,000 tons of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) high.

This pile of waste is composed of what looks to be treated residential rubbish, fragmented plastic items, polystyrene, tires and other household articles.

It constitutes just a single of 517 unauthorized tips throughout the country, at minimum 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 metric tons of rubbish. They feature a 280,000-tonne site in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire county and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne site in the county of Kent.

The total figure of such bigger locations is likely to be higher, as the regulatory agency has earlier indicated it does not possess records on volume for each unauthorized site.

Most such locations are in rural locations, frequently concealed, and on land that is intended to be agricultural land.

Organized Activity

Authorities state numerous are run by criminal organizations, who are earning money by asking for much less than licensed operators to accept and dispose of garbage.

Businesses have to incur site fees to use licensed landfill sites, based on the volume and nature of refuse they are trying to dispose of, and a waste tax is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Community Outrage

Initial operations to remove the Kidlington area location began in recent weeks following fears over the risk of combustion and the consequences that would have on the nearby A-road.

A private waste clearance firm has been granted the job to deal with the area over the following 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An compliance officer for the government environment team commented that the agency would be aiming to recover the remediation expenses under confiscation acts from any individual convicted at the end of its current inquiry.

She added that these detentions would help "drive the probe forward" and permit authorities to "pursue more leads to ascertain in detail what transpired and who was implicated".

"The unauthorized tip at this location was an shocking and calculated assault on our ecology and we share the community's frustration at this egregious crime," she stated.

A cabinet official praised the arrests, commenting: "This unauthorized dumping of waste at the site is utterly appalling and has led to significant detriment to the environment and distress to the nearby residents.

"Our administration is committed to eliminating this type of crime in the country, by boosting resources to combat illegal dumping, recruiting more staff and enacting more severe controls and sanctions for those who break the regulations."

The detentions were made on a recent Thursday by officers from a dedicated crime team and follow an previous arrest of a 39-year-old from the Surrey region in November. He was released awaiting additional enquiries.