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Two men have been detained as part of an investigation into the tipping of thousands of tons of refuse in a open field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Officials indicated that a man in his late sixties was arrested at a property in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in the town of Slough in connection with the huge heap of waste deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests occur a week after a recent revelation which uncovered the existence of over 500 unlawful dumps throughout the country of England, featuring at a minimum of 11 so-called "large-scale sites" greater than 20,000 tons.

A official for the environment authorities said that the apprehensions were for environmental and proceeds of crime crimes and were a "crucial step" in continuing inquiries. The apprehended men have been let go on pre-trial release.

Size of the Problem

The tipping ground in the Kidlington area, situated between the Cherwell River and the A34 highway, is estimated to hold approximately 21,000 metric tons of rubbish in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) tall.

This heap of rubbish is consists of what seems to be sorted household rubbish, shredded plastic items, Styrofoam, tires and various everyday objects.

It constitutes just one example of 517 unlawful dumps in England, at minimum 11 of which hold over 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. These encompass a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The actual amount of such larger dumps is probably to be larger, as the environment body has in the past stated it does not hold information on tonnage for each illegal tip.

The majority such locations are in countryside areas, often hidden, and on land that should be agricultural ground.

Organised Enterprise

Police say many are run by organised crime gangs, who are generating cash by charging far less than licensed operators to accept and dispose of rubbish.

Companies have to pay gate fees to use lawful disposal sites, based on the amount and nature of waste they are trying to discard, and a waste tax is also applied at just over £126 per tonne.

Public Outrage

Preparatory work to clear the Kidlington dump commenced recently following worries over the risk of fire and the consequences that would have on the nearby A-road.

A private waste removal contractor has been given the job to deal with the location over the following 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An compliance officer for the national environment division said that the body would be aiming to recover the remediation funds under proceeds of crime laws from any individual found guilty at the termination of its current investigation.

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

"This illegal dump at the site was an shocking and calculated assault on our natural surroundings and we share the community's frustration at this egregious crime," she remarked.

A cabinet official welcomed the actions, adding: "The unlawful deposit of garbage at Kidlington is appalling and has led to substantial damage to the environment and upset to the surrounding residents.

"Our administration is dedicated to stamping out this type of criminality throughout the country, by increasing resources to combat environmental crime, employing more officers and enacting more severe measures and penalties for those who flout the regulations."

The apprehensions were carried out on a recent Thursday by officers from a dedicated crime squad and come after an previous apprehension of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area region in November. He was let go subject to additional investigations.