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Two men have been arrested as an element of an investigation into the illegal deposit of thousands of tonnes of refuse in a open field in Oxfordshire.

Authorities indicated that a 69-year-old was detained at a residence in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in Slough in relation with the massive mound of rubbish deposited near Kidlington.

These arrests come after a previous revelation which revealed the operation of more than 500 illegal tips throughout England, including at least 11 so-called "super sites" larger than 20,000 metric tons.

A official for the regulatory body said that the detentions were for environmental and money laundering violations and were a "vital step" in continuing probes. The two individuals have been let go on bail.

Size of the Problem

The illegal site in the Kidlington area, located between the River Cherwell and the A34, is thought to house approximately 21,000 metric tons of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) in height.

This heap of waste is composed of what seems to be treated household refuse, fragmented plastic items, polystyrene, automobile tires and other domestic articles.

It represents just one of 517 unlawful sites in the country, at least 11 of which contain in excess of 20,000 metric tons of rubbish. These include a 280,000-tonne location in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne site in the county of Kent.

The overall number of such larger locations is probably to be higher, as the environment authority has previously indicated it does not hold data on weight for each illegal tip.

A large proportion of sites are in countryside areas, frequently out of sight, and on land that is zoned as agricultural land.

Organised Operations

Law enforcement say many are run by organised crime gangs, who are making cash by demanding much less than licensed companies to receive and dispose of garbage.

Companies have to pay gate fees to use lawful landfill sites, depending on the volume and nature of material they are trying to dispose of, and landfill tax is also applied at just over £126 per ton.

Public Anger

Initial operations to clean up the Kidlington site began earlier this month due to worries over the risk of combustion and the consequences that would have on the adjacent highway.

A private waste removal contractor has been given the job to deal with the site over the coming 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An enforcement officer for the national regulatory team stated that the agency would be looking to recoup the remediation funds under asset recovery legislation from any party convicted at the conclusion of its current inquiry.

She further stated that the recent apprehensions would help "push the investigation forward" and enable officials to "investigate more lines of inquiry to determine exactly what transpired and who was implicated".

"This unauthorized site at this location was an atrocious and deliberate affront on our natural surroundings and we understand the community's frustration at this egregious offence," she remarked.

A senior representative welcomed the detentions, commenting: "The unauthorized dumping of rubbish at this location is utterly appalling and has resulted in significant harm to the natural world and distress to the surrounding community.

"Our government is committed to eradicating this type of illegal activity throughout the UK, by boosting financing to combat waste crime, employing more personnel and enacting tougher controls and penalties for those who violate the law."

The detentions were executed on Thursday by agents from a regional serious crime team and follow an prior arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area region in the autumn. He was let go awaiting additional investigations.