🔗 Share this article

Two men have been arrested as part of an inquiry into the tipping of thousands of metric tons of refuse in a field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Officials indicated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a property in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was arrested in Slough, Berkshire in connection with the enormous pile of garbage deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These apprehensions occur a week after a previous revelation which uncovered the existence of more than 500 unauthorized sites in England, featuring at a minimum of 11 so-called "large-scale sites" bigger than 20,000 tons.

A official for the environment agency stated that the apprehensions were for environmental and money laundering violations and constituted a "key step" in active inquiries. Both men have been let go on conditional release.

Size of the Situation

The tipping ground in Kidlington, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34 highway, is estimated to hold around 21,000 metric tons of rubbish in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) tall.

This mound of rubbish is composed of what looks to be treated residential waste, chopped up plastic items, expanded polystyrene, tyres and assorted everyday items.

It is just one of 517 illegal tips in the country, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold over 20,000 tonnes of garbage. These feature a 280,000-tonne area in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in the county of Kent.

The actual number of such bigger locations is probably to be higher, as the environmental authority has earlier acknowledged it does not maintain data on weight for each unlawful site.

The majority such locations are in rural areas, frequently concealed, and on land that is intended to be arable property.

Organised Activity

Law enforcement say a significant number are operated by criminal organizations, who are generating cash by charging significantly less than legitimate companies to receive and bury waste.

Companies have to pay gate fees to use legitimate landfill sites, contingent on the quantity and type of waste they are trying to get rid of, and landfill tax is also levied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Community Frustration

Preparatory efforts to clear the Kidlington area dump began earlier this month following fears over the threat of combustion and the effect that would have on the adjacent highway.

A commercial clean-up company has been given the contract to deal with the location over the coming 12 months period at a expense of £9.6m.

An enforcement official for the government regulatory team said that the agency would be seeking to claim back the clearance expenses under confiscation acts from anyone prosecuted at the termination of its ongoing investigation.

She noted that these arrests would help "push the inquiry forward" and permit officials to "follow more lines of inquiry to ascertain precisely what occurred and who was involved".

"The illegal dump at the site was an atrocious and calculated affront on our natural surroundings and officials share the public's outrage at this egregious offence," she remarked.

A senior official praised the detentions, stating: "The unlawful deposit of garbage at this location is disgraceful and has led to significant detriment to the environment and distress to the surrounding community.

"The administration is pledged to stamping out this type of crime in the country, by increasing financing to combat environmental crime, employing more personnel and introducing more severe checks and sanctions for those who flout the rules."

The detentions were carried out on a recent Thursday by agents from a dedicated crime squad and are in addition to an earlier detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area area in November. He was set free subject to additional enquiries.