🔗 Share this article

Two individuals have been arrested as a component of an inquiry into the dumping of several thousand of tons of waste in a rural field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Authorities reported that a 69-year-old was arrested at a dwelling in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was arrested in the town of Slough in relation with the massive heap of rubbish tipped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests come after a prior report which uncovered the presence of over 500 unlawful dumps in England, including at least 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 tons.

A spokeswoman for the environment body stated that the detentions were for environmental and financial offences and were a "vital step" in ongoing inquiries. Both men have been released on conditional release.

Size of the Issue

The tipping ground in Kidlington, situated between the Cherwell River and the A34 highway, is thought to contain about 21,000 metric tons of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) in height.

This mound of garbage is consists of what seems to be treated residential waste, fragmented plastic items, Styrofoam, tires and assorted household articles.

It constitutes just a single of 517 unlawful tips across England, at least 11 of which contain more than 20,000 tonnes of waste. Such sites include a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The actual figure of such bigger dumps is likely to be greater, as the regulatory agency has earlier indicated it does not maintain records on tonnage for all unauthorized dump.

Most such locations are in agricultural settings, frequently hidden, and on land that is zoned as farm ground.

Organised Operations

Police report a significant number are managed by organised crime gangs, who are making cash by charging far less than legitimate companies to receive and bury garbage.

Companies have to incur site fees to use lawful landfill sites, contingent on the amount and type of material they are trying to discard, and a waste tax is also charged at just over £126 per tonne.

Local Anger

Preparatory operations to clean up the Kidlington area location began earlier this month following worries over the risk of combustion and the effect that would have on the nearby highway.

A private waste clearance company has been given the task to handle the location over the following 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An investigations official for the government regulatory team said that the agency would be seeking to claim back the clean-up expenses under proceeds of crime laws from any party ultimately convicted at the termination of its current investigation.

She noted that these arrests would help "move the inquiry forward" and enable the agency to "follow more avenues to understand exactly what transpired and who was a party to it".

"The unlawful dump at this location was an atrocious and intentional affront on our ecology and the authorities empathize with the public's frustration at this terrible offence," she stated.

A senior official praised the actions, adding: "This unauthorized dumping of garbage at the site is utterly appalling and has resulted in considerable harm to the environment and anguish to the local residents.

"The administration is committed to stamping out this category of illegal activity throughout the country, by augmenting financing to address environmental crime, recruiting more staff and introducing more severe controls and sanctions for those who flout the rules."

The arrests were made on Thursday by personnel from a specialist organised crime team and are in addition to an prior apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Surrey area in November. He was released pending further enquiries.