🔗 Share this article

A pair of individuals have been arrested as part of an investigation into the tipping of many thousands of metric tons of waste in a field in Oxfordshire.

Officials reported that a 69-year-old was arrested at a dwelling in Andover, Hampshire, while a 54-year-old was detained in Slough, Berkshire in association with the huge heap of garbage deposited near Kidlington.

These detentions follow a prior investigation which uncovered the existence of in excess of 500 unauthorized tips across England, encompassing at a minimum of 11 so-called "super sites" larger than 20,000 tons.

A official for the regulatory agency stated that the arrests were for environmental and financial violations and constituted a "crucial step" in ongoing investigations. Both men have been released on conditional release.

Scale of the Problem

The illegal site in the Kidlington area, positioned between the river Cherwell and the A34 road, 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 garbage is consists of what looks to be treated residential waste, chopped up plastics, expanded polystyrene, tyres and various household objects.

It constitutes just one example of 517 unauthorized sites throughout England, at least 11 of which hold over 20,000 tonnes of waste. These include a 280,000-tonne area in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The overall figure of such larger sites is expected to be higher, as the regulatory body has previously indicated it does not maintain information on tonnage for all illegal site.

The majority these sites are in countryside settings, often concealed, and on land that is zoned as farm ground.

Organized Activity

Police report numerous are managed by criminal organizations, who are generating money by demanding significantly less than lawful companies to take and landfill rubbish.

Companies have to pay site fees to use legitimate waste facilities, contingent on the volume and category of refuse they are trying to discard, and a waste tax is also applied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Local Outrage

Initial efforts to clean up the affected site commenced recently following concerns over the potential of fire and the effect that would have on the close-by major road.

A private waste clearance contractor has been granted the task to remediate the site over the coming 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An compliance officer for the country's regulatory team said that the body would be looking to recoup the remediation funds under confiscation legislation from any party found guilty at the termination of its current case.

She further stated that the recent arrests would help "move the inquiry forward" and permit the agency to "pursue more avenues to understand precisely what happened and who was involved".

"This illegal dump at this location was an shocking and deliberate attack on our natural surroundings and officials share the public's outrage at this terrible offence," she remarked.

A cabinet minister supported the arrests, stating: "This illegal deposit of rubbish at the site is utterly appalling and has caused significant damage to the natural world and upset to the nearby population.

"The authorities is committed to eliminating this type of illegal activity in the nation, by boosting resources to address illegal dumping, hiring more staff and enacting more severe measures and fines for those who flout the rules."

The apprehensions were made on a recent Thursday by officers from a dedicated crime squad and come after an prior detention of a 39-year-old from the Surrey area in last November. He was released pending more investigations.