🔗 Share this article

Two individuals have been arrested as an element of an probe into the dumping of many thousands of tonnes of rubbish in a field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Authorities indicated that a man in his late sixties was arrested at a residence in the town of Andover, while a man in his fifties was detained in the town of Slough in connection with the huge heap of waste tipped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These detentions follow a previous investigation which exposed the presence of over 500 unauthorized sites throughout England, including at a minimum of 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 tons.

A official for the environment authorities said that the arrests were for environmental and financial crimes and were a "crucial step" in ongoing investigations. The two individuals have been let go on conditional release.

Size of the Situation

The dump in Kidlington, situated between the Cherwell River and the A34, is estimated to house approximately 21,000 tons of waste in a heap which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) high.

This pile of rubbish is consists of what looks to be treated domestic refuse, chopped up plastic materials, polystyrene, automobile tires and other household objects.

It is just one example of 517 unauthorized dumps throughout England, at minimum 11 of which are estimated to hold in excess of 20,000 tonnes of garbage. These encompass a 280,000-tonne location in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The actual amount of such larger sites is probably to be larger, as the environment agency has in the past acknowledged it does not hold records on weight for each unlawful tip.

The majority such locations are in rural areas, often hidden, and on land that is intended to be farm ground.

Organized Activity

Authorities report numerous are operated by organized crime groups, who are earning money by charging significantly less than lawful firms to accept and bury rubbish.

Businesses have to pay site fees to use licensed disposal sites, based on the volume and category of refuse they are trying to dispose of, and a waste tax is also charged at just over £126 per metric ton.

Community Frustration

Preparatory operations to clean up the Kidlington site began earlier this month amid worries over the threat of blaze and the effect that would have on the adjacent A-road.

A contracted waste removal company has been granted the task to deal with the location over the coming 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An enforcement manager for the country's environment division commented that the agency would be looking to recover the clearance funds under confiscation laws from any party found guilty at the end of its current inquiry.

She noted that the recent apprehensions would help "drive the inquiry forward" and enable officials to "investigate more avenues to ascertain precisely what occurred and who was a party to it".

"This unlawful site at the site was an appalling and intentional affront on our natural surroundings and we empathize with the public's frustration at this horrific crime," she stated.

A senior representative praised the arrests, adding: "This unauthorized deposit of waste at Kidlington is disgraceful and has led to substantial detriment to the ecology and upset to the surrounding residents.

"Our government is committed to eliminating this type of crime throughout the country, by increasing funds to address illegal dumping, recruiting more personnel and enacting tougher controls and sanctions for those who break the rules."

The detentions were carried out on the specified day by officers from a regional crime unit and are in addition to an earlier apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area in November. He was let go subject to additional investigations.