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A pair of individuals have been arrested as part of an investigation into the illegal deposit of thousands of metric tons of rubbish in a rural field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities indicated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a dwelling in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in the town of Slough in association with the huge heap of rubbish tipped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests occur a week after a recent revelation which exposed the presence of over 500 illegal tips in the country of England, encompassing at a minimum of 11 so-called "super sites" larger than 20,000 tonnes.

A spokeswoman for the environmental agency commented that the detentions were for environmental and financial crimes and represented a "key step" in ongoing probes. The two individuals have been let go on pre-trial release.

Size of the Problem

The dump in Kidlington, situated between the Cherwell River and the A34, is believed to contain approximately 21,000 tonnes of rubbish in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) high.

This mound of rubbish is composed of what appears to be treated residential rubbish, fragmented plastic materials, Styrofoam, tires and assorted domestic articles.

It represents just a single of 517 illegal sites across England, at minimum 11 of which hold more than 20,000 tons of waste. Such sites include a 280,000-tonne location in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in the county of Kent.

The overall number of such major sites is probably to be greater, as the regulatory authority has in the past stated it does not possess information on tonnage for every unlawful site.

Most these sites are in countryside areas, typically hidden, and on land that should be arable ground.

Criminal Operations

Authorities state a significant number are operated by organized crime groups, who are making cash by demanding far less than lawful companies to receive and bury garbage.

Businesses have to incur disposal fees to use licensed disposal sites, based on the quantity and category of waste they are trying to dispose of, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over £126 per tonne.

Public Anger

Preparation operations to remove the Kidlington area site commenced earlier this month following concerns over the threat of fire and the consequences that would have on the close-by A-road.

A private clean-up contractor has been granted the contract to remediate the site over the coming 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An compliance officer for the country's environment unit said that the agency would be aiming to recover the clearance expenses under confiscation laws from any party successfully convicted at the conclusion of its active case.

She further stated that these detentions would help "drive the investigation forward" and permit the agency to "pursue more avenues to understand exactly what occurred and who was implicated".

"The illegal site at the site was an shocking and intentional affront on our ecology and officials understand the public's anger at this horrific act," she remarked.

A government minister welcomed the arrests, stating: "This unauthorized tipping of garbage at Kidlington is disgraceful and has resulted in significant damage to the environment and distress to the local population.

"The administration is dedicated to eradicating this category of illegal activity in the UK, by boosting resources to tackle waste crime, hiring more personnel and introducing stricter checks and fines for those who violate the rules."

The detentions were carried out on a recent Thursday by personnel from a dedicated crime squad and follow an prior arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford region in last November. He was set free awaiting additional investigations.