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A pair of individuals have been detained as part of an investigation into the dumping of many thousands of tons of waste in a open field in Oxfordshire, England.

Officials indicated that a man in his late sixties was detained at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in the town of Slough in association with the enormous mound of rubbish dumped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These detentions occur a week after a previous revelation which uncovered the operation of over 500 unlawful tips in England, including at a minimum of 11 so-called "large-scale sites" greater than 20,000 tonnes.

A official for the environmental authorities said that the apprehensions were for environment-related and financial violations and represented a "vital step" in continuing inquiries. The apprehended men have been set free on bail.

Magnitude of the Issue

The illegal site in Kidlington, located between the river Cherwell and the A34 highway, is thought to house approximately 21,000 tonnes of waste in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) tall.

This heap of garbage is consists of what looks to be processed residential refuse, chopped up plastics, polystyrene, tyres and other household items.

It represents just a single of 517 unlawful tips throughout England, at a minimum of 11 of which contain in excess of 20,000 tons of rubbish. Such sites encompass a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The total number of such major sites is probably to be higher, as the regulatory authority has in the past stated it does not possess records on tonnage for every unlawful tip.

The majority such locations are in countryside settings, often concealed, and on land that is intended to be farm property.

Organized Enterprise

Police state numerous are operated by criminal organizations, who are earning money by charging much less than legitimate operators to take and bury garbage.

Firms have to pay site fees to use legitimate waste facilities, based on the volume and category of refuse they are trying to dispose of, and a waste tax is also levied at just over £126 per ton.

Community Outrage

Initial work to clean up the affected location started earlier this month following fears over the potential of combustion and the consequences that would have on the nearby A-road.

A contracted waste removal company has been granted the task to remediate the site over the coming 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An enforcement official for the country's environment unit said that the body would be seeking to claim back the clearance expenses under confiscation acts from any individual prosecuted at the end of its active investigation.

She further stated that these detentions would help "move the inquiry forward" and allow officials to "investigate more lines of inquiry to ascertain exactly what transpired and who was a party to it".

"This unauthorized tip at the site was an appalling and intentional attack on our ecology and the authorities share the local frustration at this terrible crime," she stated.

A cabinet official welcomed the actions, stating: "This illegal dumping of rubbish at Kidlington is appalling and has caused considerable damage to the environment and anguish to the surrounding community.

"Our administration is committed to eradicating this category of criminality throughout the UK, by augmenting funds to tackle waste crime, recruiting more staff and implementing stricter checks and sanctions for those who break the regulations."

The detentions were executed on the specified day by officers from a regional crime team and come after an previous apprehension of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area in last November. He was released pending additional enquiries.