🔗 Share this article

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

Authorities reported that a man in his late sixties was detained at a dwelling in the town of Andover, while a man in his fifties was detained in the town of Slough in relation with the massive mound of waste tipped near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests come after a recent investigation which exposed the existence of more than 500 unlawful dumps across the country of England, featuring at least 11 so-called "major sites" bigger than 20,000 tons.

A official for the regulatory body stated that the apprehensions were for ecological and money laundering crimes and were a "crucial step" in continuing inquiries. The two individuals have been released on bail.

Magnitude of the Issue

The dump in Kidlington, situated between the Cherwell River and the A34 road, is believed to hold approximately 21,000 metric tons of waste in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) in height.

This heap of rubbish is composed of what appears to be treated domestic refuse, shredded plastics, polystyrene, automobile tires and other domestic items.

It represents just a single of 517 illegal tips across England, at minimum 11 of which are estimated to hold more than 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. These encompass a 280,000-tonne site in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire county and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The overall figure of such bigger dumps is likely to be larger, as the environment body has previously indicated it does not hold records on volume for each unlawful dump.

Most these sites are in rural locations, frequently hidden, and on land that should be arable land.

Criminal Activity

Police say a significant number are run by organised crime gangs, who are generating profit by charging significantly less than licensed operators to receive and dispose of waste.

Companies have to pay gate fees to use lawful waste facilities, depending on the quantity and category of waste they are trying to discard, and a waste tax is also charged at just over £126 per tonne.

Community Outrage

Preparation work to remove the Kidlington location commenced recently amid worries over the risk of blaze and the consequences that would have on the nearby A-road.

A private waste clearance firm has been given the task to remediate the location over the following 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An investigations official for the country's environmental crime team stated that the agency would be looking to recover the clearance funds under proceeds of crime acts from anyone convicted at the conclusion of its active inquiry.

She noted that this week's detentions would help "drive the probe forward" and enable the agency to "pursue more lines of inquiry to ascertain precisely what transpired and who was a party to it".

"This illegal dump at Kidlington was an appalling and deliberate affront on our environment and the authorities understand the local outrage at this egregious act," she said.

A government minister welcomed the detentions, adding: "The unauthorized tipping of garbage at the site is utterly appalling and has led to substantial damage to the environment and distress to the local population.

"The government is pledged to stamping out this category of crime across the country, by augmenting financing to address illegal dumping, recruiting more staff and implementing stricter checks and fines for those who break the rules."

The detentions were made on Thursday by officers from a specialist organised crime squad and come after an previous arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford region in the autumn. He was set free subject to further investigations.