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Two men have been arrested as a component of an probe into the tipping of thousands of tonnes of refuse in a open field in Oxfordshire.

Officials stated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a dwelling in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in Slough, Berkshire in relation with the massive heap of rubbish dumped near Kidlington.

These apprehensions occur a week after a recent investigation which exposed the existence of in excess of 500 unauthorized dumps throughout England, including at a minimum of 11 so-called "large-scale sites" larger than 20,000 metric tons.

A spokeswoman for the regulatory agency said that the arrests were for ecological and proceeds of crime crimes and constituted a "crucial step" in active inquiries. The two individuals have been let go on bail.

Magnitude of the Situation

The tipping ground in Kidlington, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34 road, is believed to contain approximately 21,000 tonnes of refuse in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) tall.

This mound of waste is consists of what appears to be processed residential refuse, chopped up plastics, Styrofoam, tires and other household objects.

It represents just one example of 517 unlawful tips across the country, at least 11 of which hold more than 20,000 metric tons of garbage. They encompass a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The actual amount of such bigger sites is likely to be higher, as the regulatory body has previously indicated it does not hold records on volume for every illegal tip.

The majority these sites are in countryside locations, typically hidden, and on land that should be farm ground.

Criminal Enterprise

Police say a significant number are run by organized crime groups, who are making money by demanding far less than legitimate companies to receive and landfill garbage.

Companies have to incur site fees to use legitimate landfill sites, depending on the volume and category of material they are trying to discard, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Public Anger

Preparation operations to remove the affected dump began earlier this month amid concerns over the risk of combustion and the effect that would have on the close-by highway.

A commercial waste clearance firm has been granted the contract to remediate the site over the coming 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An enforcement official for the country's environment team said that the agency would be looking to claim back the clearance costs under confiscation laws from anyone ultimately prosecuted at the end of its current case.

She added that this week's apprehensions would help "drive the investigation forward" and permit the agency to "follow more leads to determine in detail what happened and who was implicated".

"The unlawful tip at Kidlington was an atrocious and calculated affront on our environment and we share the community's anger at this egregious act," she remarked.

A cabinet minister supported the detentions, stating: "The unauthorized dumping of rubbish at this location is disgraceful and has resulted in significant damage to the natural world and distress to the local residents.

"Our government is committed to eradicating this category of illegal activity across the country, by augmenting funds to tackle environmental crime, employing more staff and introducing more severe checks and fines for those who violate the law."

The arrests were carried out on a recent Thursday by personnel from a dedicated crime squad and follow an earlier arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area in the autumn. He was let go subject to additional investigations.