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Two men have been arrested as part of an inquiry into the illegal deposit of many thousands of tonnes of rubbish in a rural field in Oxfordshire.

Officials reported that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a dwelling in Andover, Hampshire, while a man in his fifties was taken into custody in Slough, Berkshire in association with the huge pile of garbage dumped near the area of Kidlington.

These arrests occur a week after a recent investigation which uncovered the presence of more than 500 unauthorized sites in the country of England, encompassing at minimum 11 so-called "large-scale sites" larger than 20,000 tons.

A representative for the environment body stated that the detentions were for environmental and financial offences and were a "key step" in ongoing probes. The apprehended men have been released on bail.

Size of the Problem

The tipping ground in Kidlington, situated between the Cherwell River and the A34 road, is estimated to contain about 21,000 tonnes of refuse in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) in height.

This heap of rubbish is consists of what appears to be sorted household refuse, shredded plastics, polystyrene, tires and assorted everyday items.

It represents just one example of 517 illegal tips throughout the country, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold more than 20,000 metric tons of rubbish. They encompass a 280,000-tonne location in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in the county of Kent.

The actual amount of such bigger sites is likely to be larger, as the regulatory authority has in the past acknowledged it does not possess records on volume for all unlawful dump.

The majority these sites are in agricultural settings, frequently concealed, and on land that should be agricultural land.

Criminal Activity

Authorities say many are operated by criminal organizations, who are earning cash by demanding far less than lawful companies to accept and bury waste.

Firms have to be liable for site fees to use legitimate waste facilities, depending 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 ton.

Community Anger

Preparatory efforts to clear the affected dump started recently following concerns over the threat of blaze and the consequences that would have on the nearby A-road.

A contracted waste removal contractor has been granted the contract to handle the location over the following 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An investigations manager for the country's regulatory unit stated that the body would be seeking to recover the clean-up expenses under confiscation acts from any party convicted at the conclusion of its current investigation.

She noted that the recent arrests would help "push the inquiry forward" and allow the agency to "pursue more lines of inquiry to ascertain precisely what occurred and who was a party to it".

"The unauthorized site at Kidlington was an appalling and calculated attack on our ecology and the authorities understand the local frustration at this egregious offence," she stated.

A government minister praised the detentions, adding: "The unlawful tipping of waste at the site is utterly appalling and has led to substantial damage to the environment and distress to the nearby population.

"Our administration is pledged to eliminating this category of illegal activity throughout the UK, by boosting financing to combat illegal dumping, employing more staff and enacting tougher checks and penalties for those who break the rules."

The detentions were executed on Thursday by officers from a dedicated organised crime team and are in addition to an previous detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford region in the autumn. He was released pending more enquiries.