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Two men have been arrested as a component of an investigation into the dumping of several thousand of tons of waste in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

Law enforcement reported that a 69-year-old was detained at a dwelling in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was detained in the town of Slough in relation with the huge heap of waste tipped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These apprehensions come after a recent investigation which revealed the operation of over 500 unlawful sites in the country of England, including at least 11 so-called "major sites" larger than 20,000 tons.

A spokeswoman for the environmental authorities commented that the apprehensions were for ecological and proceeds of crime offences and constituted a "vital step" in active probes. Both men have been released on bail.

Magnitude of the Situation

The dump in the Kidlington area, located between the Cherwell River and the A34 road, is thought to contain approximately 21,000 metric tons of refuse in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) in height.

This heap of waste is composed of what seems to be sorted household rubbish, shredded plastic items, polystyrene, tires and other everyday articles.

It constitutes just one of 517 unlawful sites throughout England, at least 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 tons of waste. Such sites feature a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire county and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in the county of Kent.

The total amount of such major sites is probably to be larger, as the environmental authority has earlier indicated it does not hold information on tonnage for each illegal site.

The majority such locations are in rural areas, typically concealed, and on land that is zoned as arable land.

Organized Activity

Authorities say numerous are operated by criminal organizations, who are earning profit by asking for far less than lawful firms to receive and bury garbage.

Businesses have to be liable for gate fees to use lawful waste facilities, contingent on the quantity and type of material they are trying to discard, and landfill tax is also charged at just over £126 per tonne.

Local Outrage

Initial work to remove the affected location commenced recently amid concerns over the threat of blaze and the impact that would have on the adjacent A-road.

A contracted waste removal contractor has been awarded the job to deal with the location over the coming 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An compliance officer for the government regulatory unit stated that the authority would be aiming to recover the clearance funds under proceeds of crime laws from any party successfully convicted at the conclusion of its active case.

She further stated that the recent apprehensions would help "drive the inquiry forward" and enable authorities to "investigate more avenues to ascertain in detail what happened and who was involved".

"The illegal site at the site was an shocking and intentional attack on our natural surroundings and the authorities empathize with the public's frustration at this egregious act," she said.

A government minister welcomed the arrests, adding: "This unlawful dumping of waste at Kidlington is appalling and has led to significant damage to the environment and distress to the surrounding population.

"Our government is committed to eliminating this type of illegal activity across the country, by boosting financing to tackle waste crime, employing more personnel and introducing tougher measures and fines for those who flout the law."

The detentions were executed on a recent Thursday by agents from a regional serious crime unit and come after an previous arrest of a 39-year-old from the Surrey area in November. He was set free awaiting further investigations.