🔗 Share this article

Two individuals have been arrested as part of an investigation into the dumping of thousands of tonnes of refuse in a field in Oxfordshire.

Authorities reported that a man in his late sixties was apprehended at a dwelling in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was arrested in the town of Slough in association with the enormous mound of rubbish tipped near the area of Kidlington.

These arrests come after a prior investigation which revealed the presence of more than 500 unauthorized sites throughout England, featuring at a minimum of 11 so-called "large-scale sites" bigger than 20,000 metric tons.

A official for the environment authorities stated that the arrests were for environment-related and money laundering crimes and represented a "key step" in ongoing probes. The apprehended men have been let go on pre-trial release.

Scale of the Problem

The tipping ground in near Kidlington, positioned between the River Cherwell and the A34 road, is estimated to hold around 21,000 tons of refuse in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) tall.

This pile of waste is composed of what appears to be treated household rubbish, chopped up plastics, expanded polystyrene, tires and assorted household objects.

It constitutes just a single of 517 unlawful dumps throughout the country, at a minimum of 11 of which contain more than 20,000 metric tons of waste. They feature a 280,000-tonne location in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne areas in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The total amount of such major sites is expected to be higher, as the environmental authority has in the past acknowledged it does not hold data on weight for every unauthorized site.

A large proportion of sites are in rural areas, typically concealed, and on land that is zoned as agricultural land.

Organised Operations

Police say many are operated by organized crime groups, who are making cash by charging much less than legitimate operators to accept and bury rubbish.

Companies have to be liable for gate fees to use legitimate disposal sites, based on the volume and type of waste they are trying to dispose of, and a disposal levy is also charged at just over £126 per ton.

Local Outrage

Initial efforts to clear the affected dump commenced recently due to worries over the threat of fire and the consequences that would have on the adjacent A-road.

A private waste clearance firm has been granted the task to remediate the location over the coming 12 months at a expense of £9.6m.

An compliance manager for the national environmental crime division stated that the body would be seeking to recoup the clean-up expenses under asset recovery acts from any party convicted at the conclusion of its active investigation.

She noted that this week's detentions would help "push the inquiry forward" and allow authorities to "pursue more leads to determine exactly what happened and who was involved".

"The illegal tip at the site was an shocking and intentional attack on our natural surroundings and the authorities share the public's frustration at this terrible offence," she remarked.

A government official praised the actions, stating: "This unlawful tipping of rubbish at Kidlington is utterly appalling and has resulted in substantial damage to the ecology and distress to the local residents.

"The authorities is dedicated to eliminating this type of illegal activity across the nation, by augmenting resources to combat environmental crime, employing more officers and implementing more severe checks and sanctions for those who break the rules."

The detentions were executed on the specified day by agents from a specialist crime team and come after an prior detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford region in November. He was let go awaiting additional enquiries.