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Two men have been detained as part of an inquiry into the dumping of several thousand of tonnes of rubbish in a field in Oxfordshire.

Authorities stated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a residence in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in Slough in relation with the enormous mound of waste deposited near Kidlington.

These detentions follow a prior revelation which uncovered the existence of over 500 unauthorized tips across the country of England, encompassing at minimum 11 so-called "large-scale sites" larger than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the regulatory agency commented that the detentions were for ecological and proceeds of crime offences and represented a "key step" in ongoing investigations. The apprehended men have been set free on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Problem

The dump in near Kidlington, positioned between the River Cherwell and the A34, is believed to house about 21,000 metric tons of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) tall.

This heap of waste is made up of what looks to be sorted household refuse, fragmented plastic items, polystyrene, tires and other household objects.

It constitutes just one example of 517 unlawful sites across England, at least 11 of which hold over 20,000 tons of garbage. Such sites encompass a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The actual figure of such bigger locations is expected to be greater, as the environmental authority has earlier acknowledged it does not hold records on tonnage for each unlawful tip.

Most such locations are in rural settings, typically concealed, and on land that is zoned as agricultural property.

Organized Operations

Law enforcement say a significant number are run by organised crime gangs, who are making profit by demanding significantly less than legitimate operators to take and landfill waste.

Firms have to pay disposal fees to use legitimate landfill sites, depending on the amount and category of material they are trying to discard, and a waste tax is also charged at just over £126 per metric ton.

Local Outrage

Initial operations to clear the affected location began earlier this month due to concerns over the potential of fire and the consequences that would have on the close-by major road.

A contracted clean-up company has been given the task to deal with the site over the next 12 months period at a cost of £9.6m.

An investigations officer for the country's environment division said that the body would be seeking to recover the clearance expenses under confiscation acts from anyone found guilty at the conclusion of its current inquiry.

She further stated that these arrests would help "drive the probe forward" and permit the agency to "pursue more avenues to determine exactly what happened and who was a party to it".

"This illegal dump at Kidlington was an atrocious and calculated affront on our natural surroundings and officials empathize with the community's anger at this horrific crime," she remarked.

A senior representative welcomed the actions, commenting: "This unlawful tipping of garbage at Kidlington is utterly appalling and has led to substantial damage to the environment and distress to the surrounding community.

"Our government is pledged to stamping out this kind of criminality throughout the nation, by augmenting financing to combat waste crime, employing more personnel and enacting stricter checks and penalties for those who flout the regulations."

The apprehensions were executed on Thursday by personnel from a dedicated crime unit and come after an previous apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Surrey region in the autumn. He was released pending more enquiries.