🔗 Share this article

Two men have been detained as part of an probe into the illegal deposit of many thousands of metric tons of refuse in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities reported that a 69-year-old was arrested at a property in Hampshire's Andover, while a man in his fifties was arrested in the town of Slough in association with the enormous pile of garbage deposited near the area of Kidlington.

These apprehensions come after a previous investigation which revealed the presence of over 500 illegal sites throughout England, encompassing at minimum 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 tons.

A official for the environment agency commented that the detentions were for environment-related and proceeds of crime offences and were a "crucial step" in active inquiries. Both men have been let go on pre-trial release.

Magnitude of the Problem

The tipping ground in near Kidlington, situated between the river Cherwell and the A34 highway, is thought to hold around 21,000 tons of rubbish in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) in height.

This mound of waste is consists of what seems to be processed household refuse, shredded plastics, expanded polystyrene, tires and other domestic articles.

It constitutes just a single of 517 illegal tips in the country, at a minimum of 11 of which contain in excess of 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. They feature a 280,000-tonne area in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire county and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The actual figure of such larger sites is probably to be greater, as the environmental authority has previously stated it does not possess data on volume for every unlawful site.

Most sites are in countryside settings, often hidden, and on land that is zoned as arable property.

Organised Operations

Authorities report many are run by criminal organizations, who are making cash by charging far less than licensed companies to accept and bury garbage.

Businesses have to pay gate fees to use lawful waste facilities, based on the quantity and nature of material they are trying to get rid of, and a waste tax is also charged at just over £126 per metric ton.

Local Frustration

Initial work to clean up the affected site began earlier this month due to fears over the potential of combustion and the consequences that would have on the adjacent highway.

A commercial clean-up firm has been given the job to remediate the site over the following 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An investigations manager for the national regulatory unit stated that the body would be seeking to recover the clean-up expenses under asset recovery acts from anyone convicted at the end of its ongoing inquiry.

She further stated that these arrests would help "push the probe forward" and enable the agency to "follow more leads to determine in detail what occurred and who was a party to it".

"The unlawful site at this location was an atrocious and calculated affront on our environment and officials empathize with the public's outrage at this egregious act," she stated.

A cabinet minister welcomed the actions, stating: "The unlawful dumping of garbage at this location is utterly appalling and has resulted in considerable damage to the environment and upset to the nearby community.

"The administration is committed to stamping out this category of illegal activity in the nation, by boosting resources to combat waste crime, recruiting more personnel and implementing tougher checks and penalties for those who break the rules."

The detentions were made on a recent Thursday by agents from a regional crime unit and follow an prior apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Surrey area in November. He was let go awaiting more inquiries.