🔗 Share this article

A pair of individuals have been detained as part of an inquiry into the dumping of many thousands of tons of waste in a rural field in the county of Oxfordshire.

Law enforcement indicated that a 69-year-old was apprehended at a dwelling in Hampshire's Andover, while a 54-year-old was taken into custody in the town of Slough in connection with the enormous mound of garbage tipped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These detentions occur a week after a prior revelation which revealed the presence of in excess of 500 illegal dumps across the country of England, including at minimum 11 so-called "super sites" greater than 20,000 tonnes.

A representative for the regulatory agency stated that the apprehensions were for environmental and money laundering offences and represented a "key step" in continuing inquiries. Both men have been set free on bail.

Scale of the Situation

The illegal site in near Kidlington, situated between the river Cherwell and the A34 highway, is estimated to hold around 21,000 tons of rubbish in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) high.

This mound of waste is composed of what appears to be processed residential rubbish, fragmented plastics, polystyrene, tyres and other everyday items.

It is just one example of 517 unlawful sites throughout the country, at minimum 11 of which contain more than 20,000 tons of garbage. They feature a 280,000-tonne area in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The total figure of such bigger dumps is likely to be higher, as the environmental agency has in the past acknowledged it does not hold data on tonnage for every illegal site.

The majority sites are in countryside settings, typically concealed, and on land that is intended to be agricultural property.

Criminal Enterprise

Law enforcement state numerous are run by organised crime gangs, who are making profit by charging much less than legitimate firms to take and landfill rubbish.

Companies have to pay site fees to use licensed waste facilities, depending on the quantity and nature of waste they are trying to discard, and landfill tax is also applied at just over £126 per metric ton.

Local Anger

Preparatory operations to remove the Kidlington dump began earlier this month due to concerns over the potential of fire and the impact that would have on the adjacent major road.

A commercial waste removal contractor has been given the job to deal with the area over the next 12 months at a cost of £9.6m.

An compliance officer for the country's regulatory unit said that the authority would be looking to claim back the remediation funds under proceeds of crime acts from anyone successfully convicted at the conclusion of its current investigation.

She noted that these arrests would help "drive the inquiry forward" and enable officials to "follow more avenues to determine in detail what happened and who was a party to it".

"This unlawful site at this location was an shocking and intentional affront on our natural surroundings and the authorities empathize with the community's outrage at this horrific crime," she said.

A government representative welcomed the actions, stating: "The unlawful deposit of rubbish at this location is appalling and has caused substantial damage to the ecology and distress to the surrounding community.

"Our government is dedicated to eradicating this kind of illegal activity in the nation, by increasing funds to address environmental crime, hiring more personnel and implementing more severe checks and fines for those who flout the regulations."

The detentions were executed on a recent Thursday by officers from a regional crime team and follow an earlier detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area area in November. He was let go pending further enquiries.