🔗 Share this article

Two individuals have been arrested as an element of an investigation into the dumping of thousands of metric tons of refuse in a open field in Oxfordshire.

Authorities stated that a 69-year-old was detained at a property in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was detained in the town of Slough in association with the massive heap of waste deposited near the area of Kidlington.

These arrests come after a previous investigation which revealed the presence of more than 500 unlawful dumps across the country of England, featuring at minimum 11 so-called "major sites" larger than 20,000 tons.

A official for the environmental agency stated that the apprehensions were for environment-related and proceeds of crime violations and represented a "vital step" in active probes. The two individuals have been let go on conditional release.

Scale of the Situation

The tipping ground in the Kidlington area, located between the Cherwell River and the A34 highway, is believed to contain approximately 21,000 tonnes of waste in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) in height.

This heap of waste is composed of what appears to be treated household refuse, chopped up plastic items, polystyrene, automobile tires and assorted domestic articles.

It represents just a single of 517 illegal dumps across the country, at minimum 11 of which contain over 20,000 tons of rubbish. They feature a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The actual amount of such larger dumps is expected to be larger, as the regulatory body has previously stated it does not possess records on volume for every illegal dump.

The majority such locations are in countryside areas, often out of sight, and on land that should be agricultural land.

Criminal Operations

Authorities report many are operated by organised crime gangs, who are making cash by asking for much less than licensed firms to receive and bury garbage.

Firms have to incur gate fees to use legitimate landfill sites, contingent on the amount and type of waste they are trying to discard, and a waste tax is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Local Outrage

Initial work to clean up the Kidlington area site commenced recently amid worries over the potential of fire and the impact that would have on the adjacent major road.

A private waste removal firm has been granted the contract to remediate the location over the following 12 months period at a price of £9.6m.

An compliance officer for the national environmental crime unit said that the agency would be looking to claim back the clearance funds under proceeds of crime laws from any party ultimately convicted at the termination of its active case.

She further stated that the recent apprehensions would help "drive the investigation forward" and allow authorities to "investigate more avenues to determine exactly what occurred and who was implicated".

"This illegal tip at Kidlington was an atrocious and intentional attack on our natural surroundings and officials empathize with the community's anger at this egregious act," she stated.

A government minister supported the detentions, adding: "This unlawful deposit of waste at the site is appalling and has led to considerable harm to the environment and upset to the local residents.

"Our administration is dedicated to stamping out this type of crime across the nation, by boosting financing to tackle waste crime, recruiting more officers and enacting tougher controls and fines for those who break the regulations."

The apprehensions were executed on Thursday by agents from a dedicated serious crime team and come after an prior detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area in the autumn. He was let go awaiting additional investigations.