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A pair of individuals have been arrested as an element of an investigation into the dumping of thousands of metric tons of refuse in a open field in Oxfordshire, England.

Officials indicated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was detained in Slough in relation with the massive heap of garbage deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests occur a week after a recent report which revealed the existence of in excess of 500 illegal tips throughout the country of England, featuring at a minimum of 11 so-called "large-scale sites" bigger than 20,000 metric tons.

A official for the regulatory authorities said that the apprehensions were for ecological and money laundering crimes and constituted a "vital step" in continuing investigations. The two individuals have been released on bail.

Scale of the Problem

The dump in the Kidlington area, positioned between the River Cherwell and the A34 road, is estimated to house approximately 21,000 metric tons of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) in height.

This heap of rubbish is composed of what seems to be treated household refuse, shredded plastics, expanded polystyrene, tires and other everyday articles.

It constitutes just one of 517 illegal sites in England, at minimum 11 of which contain over 20,000 metric tons of rubbish. Such sites include a 280,000-tonne area in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in the county of Kent.

The actual number of such major sites is probably to be larger, as the environmental authority has previously acknowledged it does not possess information on volume for all unlawful tip.

Most these sites are in agricultural areas, frequently hidden, and on land that is zoned as agricultural land.

Organised Activity

Authorities say a significant number are managed by criminal organizations, who are earning cash by asking for much less than legitimate companies to take and dispose of garbage.

Companies have to pay gate fees to use legitimate landfill sites, contingent on the volume and nature of material they are trying to get rid of, and a waste tax is also levied at just over £126 per ton.

Public Anger

Preparatory work to clean up the Kidlington area location began recently following fears over the potential of blaze and the effect that would have on the nearby highway.

A commercial waste clearance contractor has been granted the contract to remediate the site over the following 12 months period at a price of £9.6m.

An investigations officer for the government environment division said that the authority would be seeking to recover the clean-up costs under confiscation acts from anyone prosecuted at the conclusion of its current investigation.

She further stated that this week's apprehensions would help "move the inquiry forward" and allow authorities to "follow more avenues to ascertain precisely what transpired and who was implicated".

"The illegal site at Kidlington was an shocking and intentional assault on our environment and the authorities share the local outrage at this terrible crime," she said.

A cabinet representative praised the detentions, commenting: "This unlawful deposit of garbage at this location is utterly appalling and has led to significant damage to the environment and anguish to the nearby community.

"The authorities is dedicated to stamping out this category of crime in the country, by increasing financing to address waste crime, employing more personnel and implementing more severe controls and penalties for those who flout the regulations."

The apprehensions were made on Thursday by personnel from a specialist crime team and come after an previous apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford region in last November. He was set free subject to more inquiries.