🔗 Share this article

Two men have been taken into custody as part of an probe into the dumping of thousands of tonnes of refuse in a open field in Oxfordshire, England.

Authorities stated that a man in his late sixties was apprehended at a property in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was detained in Slough in connection with the huge pile of waste deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests come after a prior report which revealed the operation of in excess of 500 illegal sites in England, encompassing at a minimum of 11 so-called "large-scale sites" greater than 20,000 metric tons.

A spokeswoman for the environment body stated that the arrests were for environmental and financial offences and represented a "crucial step" in active probes. The apprehended men have been let go on bail.

Size of the Problem

The illegal site in the Kidlington area, situated between the Cherwell River and the A34 road, is believed to hold about 21,000 tons of waste in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) high.

This mound of waste is consists of what seems to be processed household refuse, chopped up plastics, Styrofoam, tires and assorted domestic objects.

It is just one example of 517 unauthorized sites across England, at minimum 11 of which hold in excess of 20,000 metric tons of waste. Such sites feature a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in the county of Kent.

The total amount of such larger sites is likely to be greater, as the environment body has in the past stated it does not possess information on tonnage for all unauthorized tip.

The majority these sites are in countryside locations, frequently concealed, and on land that is intended to be agricultural property.

Organised Enterprise

Law enforcement report many are run by criminal organizations, who are making money by asking for much less than lawful operators to take and bury waste.

Companies have to be liable for site fees to use legitimate disposal sites, depending on the quantity and nature of waste they are trying to get rid of, and a disposal levy is also levied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Public Frustration

Preparatory work to clean up the Kidlington area site started recently due to fears over the threat of combustion and the impact that would have on the nearby major road.

A commercial waste clearance contractor has been granted the contract to deal with the site over the coming 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An enforcement official for the country's regulatory team stated that the authority would be looking to recover the remediation expenses under asset recovery legislation from anyone ultimately convicted at the conclusion of its active case.

She further stated that the recent apprehensions would help "push the investigation forward" and permit the agency to "pursue more avenues to ascertain exactly what transpired and who was implicated".

"The unauthorized tip at Kidlington was an shocking and calculated assault on our environment and we empathize with the public's frustration at this egregious act," she said.

A senior minister supported the detentions, adding: "This unauthorized dumping of waste at the site is appalling and has led to significant harm to the ecology and upset to the surrounding community.

"Our administration is pledged to stamping out this category of criminality in the country, by boosting financing to address illegal dumping, recruiting more officers and enacting more severe measures and penalties for those who break the law."

The apprehensions were made on the specified day by officers from a specialist serious crime unit and follow an prior arrest of a 39-year-old from the Surrey region in the autumn. He was set free awaiting more inquiries.