Arrests Executed in Link to Enormous Illegal Rubbish Dump

Two individuals have been arrested as part of an investigation into the illegal deposit of thousands of tons of rubbish in a open field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Officials reported that a man in his late sixties was detained at a dwelling in the town of Andover, while a man in his fifties was detained in Slough, Berkshire in connection with the enormous pile of rubbish deposited near Kidlington.

These detentions follow a prior report which revealed the existence of over 500 unauthorized tips throughout England, encompassing at least 11 so-called "super sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

A official for the environment body commented that the detentions were for environment-related and proceeds of crime crimes and were a "crucial step" in active probes. The apprehended men have been set free on conditional release.

Size of the Problem

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

This mound of waste is made up of what looks to be sorted household waste, chopped up plastics, polystyrene, tires and various everyday articles.

It constitutes just a single of 517 illegal dumps throughout England, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold more than 20,000 tons of rubbish. Such sites encompass a 280,000-tonne site in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The actual number of such bigger dumps is expected to be greater, as the environment body has in the past indicated it does not maintain records on weight for all unlawful tip.

The majority sites are in countryside settings, often concealed, and on land that should be farm ground.

Criminal Activity

Authorities state a significant number are operated by organised crime gangs, who are generating cash by charging far less than legitimate companies to receive and bury rubbish.

Companies have to incur site fees to use lawful disposal sites, contingent on the volume and category of material they are trying to get rid of, and a waste tax is also levied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Local Frustration

Initial operations to clean up the affected dump began recently amid fears over the risk of blaze and the effect that would have on the adjacent A-road.

A contracted clean-up firm has been given the contract to handle the area over the following 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An compliance officer for the country's environment division commented that the body would be looking to claim back the remediation funds under confiscation legislation from any party ultimately prosecuted at the conclusion of its ongoing case.

She noted that the recent apprehensions would help "move the probe forward" and enable authorities to "follow more avenues to determine exactly what transpired and who was involved".

"The unlawful dump at the site was an atrocious and calculated assault on our natural surroundings and officials empathize with the local anger at this horrific offence," she remarked.

A government representative praised the actions, commenting: "This unauthorized tipping of waste at the site is appalling and has caused considerable detriment to the ecology and anguish to the local population.

"Our administration is pledged to stamping out this kind of criminality throughout the UK, by boosting financing to tackle environmental crime, employing more staff and implementing stricter controls and sanctions for those who break the law."

The detentions were executed on Thursday by officers from a dedicated crime unit and are in addition to an prior apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area area in the autumn. He was let go awaiting more investigations.