Arrests Carried Out in Connection to Supersized Illegal Rubbish Dump

Two men have been arrested as an element of an probe into the tipping of many thousands of tons of refuse in a open field in Oxfordshire, England.

Officials reported that a man in his late sixties was detained at a residence in Andover, Hampshire, while a man in his fifties was detained in the town of Slough in relation with the enormous pile of garbage dumped near Kidlington.

These detentions come after a recent investigation which revealed the existence of more than 500 unauthorized dumps across England, encompassing at least 11 so-called "super sites" larger than 20,000 tonnes.

A spokeswoman for the environment authorities commented that the apprehensions were for ecological and financial offences and constituted a "vital step" in ongoing inquiries. The two individuals have been let go on pre-trial release.

Scale of the Problem

The tipping ground in the Kidlington area, located between the Cherwell River and the A34, is thought to hold about 21,000 tons of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) in height.

This mound of garbage is consists of what looks to be treated residential rubbish, shredded plastics, Styrofoam, tires and other domestic objects.

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

The total amount of such bigger sites is likely to be greater, as the environmental agency has in the past acknowledged it does not maintain records on volume for all unlawful dump.

The majority such locations are in rural areas, typically concealed, and on land that should be farm property.

Organised Activity

Police state numerous are operated by criminal organizations, who are making money by demanding significantly less than legitimate operators to accept and landfill waste.

Businesses have to be liable for disposal fees to use lawful landfill sites, contingent on the volume and category of refuse they are trying to get rid of, and a disposal levy is also applied at just over £126 per tonne.

Community Frustration

Preparation operations to clear the Kidlington location commenced recently amid concerns over the risk of combustion and the effect that would have on the nearby A-road.

A contracted waste removal company has been given the contract to deal with the site over the coming 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An investigations official for the government environmental crime division commented that the authority would be aiming to claim back the clean-up expenses under asset recovery legislation from any party successfully prosecuted at the end of its ongoing inquiry.

She further stated that this week's apprehensions would help "drive the inquiry forward" and allow officials to "follow more avenues to ascertain precisely what transpired and who was a party to it".

"The illegal tip at the site was an atrocious and deliberate assault on our natural surroundings and the authorities share the public's frustration at this horrific crime," she said.

A government representative praised the detentions, stating: "The illegal deposit of rubbish at Kidlington is utterly appalling and has led to considerable detriment to the natural world and anguish to the surrounding population.

"Our government is committed to eliminating this type of criminality across the UK, by augmenting resources to address illegal dumping, hiring more staff and enacting more severe checks and penalties for those who violate the regulations."

The apprehensions were made on Thursday by agents from a specialist crime team and follow an previous apprehension of a man in his thirties from the Guildford area area in November. He was released subject to more enquiries.