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Two men have been taken into custody as part of an inquiry into the tipping of several thousand of tons of waste in a rural field in Oxfordshire.

Officials indicated that a 69-year-old was detained at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in Slough in relation with the huge heap of waste tipped near Kidlington.

These apprehensions come after a previous revelation which uncovered the existence of in excess of 500 illegal sites across England, including at least 11 so-called "super sites" greater than 20,000 tons.

A representative for the environment body stated that the arrests were for environmental and money laundering offences and constituted a "crucial step" in continuing inquiries. Both men have been released on conditional release.

Size of the Situation

The tipping ground in the Kidlington area, located between the river Cherwell and the A34 road, is thought to house approximately 21,000 tons of rubbish in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) in height.

This pile of waste is consists of what looks to be treated residential rubbish, chopped up plastic items, polystyrene, automobile tires and assorted domestic objects.

It is just one example of 517 illegal tips across England, at least 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 tonnes of garbage. They include a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in the county of Kent.

The total amount of such major dumps is likely to be larger, as the environmental agency has in the past acknowledged it does not hold information on tonnage for all unauthorized tip.

The majority such locations are in agricultural areas, typically hidden, and on land that should be farm land.

Criminal Activity

Authorities state numerous are operated by criminal organizations, who are earning cash by asking for significantly less than lawful companies to accept and dispose of rubbish.

Companies have to be liable for gate fees to use lawful waste facilities, depending on the volume and category of material they are trying to dispose of, and landfill tax is also applied at just over £126 per tonne.

Community Anger

Preparatory efforts to clean up the affected location commenced recently due to concerns over the threat of combustion and the consequences that would have on the nearby highway.

A contracted waste removal company has been awarded the task to remediate the site over the following 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An investigations officer for the country's environment division commented that the agency would be looking to recover the clean-up expenses under confiscation legislation from any party ultimately found guilty at the conclusion of its current case.

She added that the recent detentions would help "move the inquiry forward" and enable authorities to "pursue more avenues to ascertain in detail what occurred and who was implicated".

"The unlawful tip at the site was an atrocious and calculated affront on our environment and officials share the community's frustration at this egregious offence," she remarked.

A cabinet representative supported the arrests, stating: "The illegal dumping of garbage at the site is utterly appalling and has caused significant harm to the ecology and upset to the nearby residents.

"The government is committed to eliminating this type of illegal activity in the UK, by boosting financing to tackle environmental crime, employing more personnel and introducing stricter controls and sanctions for those who flout the rules."

The apprehensions were made on the specified day by agents from a dedicated organised crime unit and follow an prior detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area in last November. He was released awaiting additional enquiries.