🔗 Share this article

A pair of individuals have been detained as part of an inquiry into the dumping of many thousands of metric tons of rubbish in a field in Oxfordshire, England.

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

These arrests follow a prior revelation which uncovered the operation of in excess of 500 illegal sites throughout England, encompassing at least 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 tonnes.

A spokeswoman for the environment body said that the apprehensions were for environment-related and money laundering violations and constituted a "crucial step" in ongoing inquiries. Both men have been let go on pre-trial release.

Scale of the Situation

The tipping ground in near Kidlington, situated between the river Cherwell and the A34 road, is estimated to house approximately 21,000 tons of refuse in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) high.

This mound of waste is made up of what looks to be treated household rubbish, fragmented plastic items, expanded polystyrene, automobile tires and other household objects.

It constitutes just one of 517 unlawful sites across England, at least 11 of which contain over 20,000 metric tons of waste. They feature a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The total amount of such major dumps is probably to be larger, as the environmental authority has in the past indicated it does not possess records on weight for every unauthorized tip.

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

Organised Operations

Police state a significant number are managed by organised crime gangs, who are making profit by charging much less than legitimate operators to accept and dispose of garbage.

Businesses have to incur disposal fees to use legitimate waste facilities, contingent on the volume and category of refuse they are trying to discard, and landfill tax is also levied at just over £126 per tonne.

Local Anger

Preparation operations to clean up the Kidlington dump started recently following worries over the potential of blaze and the consequences that would have on the adjacent major road.

A contracted clean-up contractor has been awarded the task to remediate the location over the coming 12 months period at a cost of £9.6m.

An investigations manager for the national environmental crime division stated that the body would be seeking to claim back the clearance funds under asset recovery acts from any party prosecuted at the conclusion of its ongoing case.

She further stated that the recent arrests would help "drive the investigation forward" and enable authorities to "pursue more lines of inquiry to determine precisely what transpired and who was involved".

"The unauthorized site at the site was an appalling and deliberate affront on our ecology and we understand the public's outrage at this terrible crime," she said.

A government representative supported the detentions, adding: "The unlawful deposit of waste at the site is appalling and has led to considerable detriment to the ecology and anguish to the local population.

"The government is dedicated to stamping out this type of illegal activity across the UK, by boosting financing to address environmental crime, employing more staff and implementing stricter controls and sanctions for those who flout the regulations."

The arrests were made on Thursday by agents from a specialist organised crime team and come after an prior arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford region in November. He was released subject to additional investigations.