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Two men have been detained as part of an probe into the illegal deposit of several thousand of tonnes of refuse in a open field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Authorities indicated that a 69-year-old was detained at a property in Hampshire's Andover, while a man in his fifties was detained in the town of Slough in connection with the massive heap of waste tipped near Kidlington.

These apprehensions follow a previous investigation which revealed the existence of over 500 unlawful tips in England, including at least 11 so-called "super sites" bigger than 20,000 metric tons.

A representative for the environmental body said that the apprehensions were for environment-related and proceeds of crime violations and constituted a "crucial step" in active inquiries. Both men have been set free on conditional release.

Magnitude of the Problem

The dump in the Kidlington area, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34, is thought to house about 21,000 metric tons of refuse in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) high.

This heap of waste is made up of what seems to be processed domestic waste, shredded plastics, polystyrene, automobile tires and other domestic objects.

It constitutes just one of 517 illegal tips in England, at a minimum of 11 of which hold over 20,000 tons of waste. These include a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The total figure of such major dumps is expected to be higher, as the environmental authority has previously indicated it does not hold data on tonnage for each unauthorized site.

Most such locations are in countryside settings, frequently concealed, and on land that should be arable land.

Organized Enterprise

Authorities say many are managed by criminal organizations, who are generating profit by demanding significantly less than lawful firms to accept and dispose of rubbish.

Companies have to pay gate fees to use legitimate landfill sites, depending on the volume and type of refuse they are trying to get rid of, and landfill tax is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Public Anger

Preparation efforts to clean up the affected dump began earlier this month amid worries over the potential of fire and the impact that would have on the nearby highway.

A contracted waste removal company has been awarded the contract to remediate the area over the following 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An investigations officer for the country's environmental crime unit stated that the agency would be seeking to claim back the clean-up funds under confiscation laws from any individual ultimately convicted at the termination of its ongoing case.

She noted that the recent detentions would help "push the probe forward" and allow officials to "investigate more avenues to determine in detail what occurred and who was involved".

"This illegal dump at this location was an atrocious and calculated attack on our ecology and officials understand the public's frustration at this horrific crime," she remarked.

A government official supported the detentions, commenting: "The unauthorized dumping of waste at this location is appalling and has caused significant damage to the environment and anguish to the surrounding population.

"Our authorities is committed to eradicating this kind of illegal activity throughout the nation, by increasing funds to address environmental crime, employing more staff and implementing tougher controls and sanctions for those who violate the regulations."

The arrests were executed on a recent Thursday by officers from a dedicated crime unit and are in addition to an earlier arrest of a 39-year-old from the Surrey region in the autumn. He was let go subject to further inquiries.