🔗 Share this article

Two individuals have been arrested as part of an investigation into the illegal deposit of many thousands of tons of waste in a field in Oxfordshire.

Authorities indicated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a dwelling in Andover, Hampshire, while a man in his fifties was taken into custody in Slough in relation with the huge mound of garbage dumped near Kidlington.

These detentions follow a recent report which revealed the existence of more than 500 illegal dumps throughout England, including at a minimum of 11 so-called "large-scale sites" bigger than 20,000 tonnes.

A spokeswoman for the environmental agency commented that the detentions were for ecological and money laundering violations and constituted a "vital step" in continuing probes. The apprehended men have been released on pre-trial release.

Scale of the Situation

The tipping ground in the Kidlington area, positioned between the River Cherwell and the A34, is estimated to contain about 21,000 tons of waste in a pile which is up to 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) tall.

This pile of garbage is consists of what seems to be sorted household refuse, fragmented plastic materials, polystyrene, automobile tires and other household items.

It constitutes just one of 517 unlawful tips in England, at minimum 11 of which hold more than 20,000 tons of garbage. Such sites feature a 280,000-tonne site in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne sites in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne site in Kent.

The overall number of such major locations is expected to be larger, as the environmental agency has previously acknowledged it does not hold records on weight for all unlawful dump.

Most such locations are in countryside settings, often concealed, and on land that should be farm land.

Organised Operations

Police report a significant number are managed by organised crime gangs, who are earning money by demanding much less than legitimate firms to accept and bury garbage.

Companies have to be liable for site fees to use lawful disposal sites, depending on the volume and nature of material they are trying to get rid of, and landfill tax is also charged at just over £126 per tonne.

Community Frustration

Preparation work to clear the Kidlington location commenced recently following worries over the threat of combustion and the effect that would have on the nearby highway.

A private waste clearance firm has been given the contract to handle the location over the next 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An investigations manager for the government environmental crime division stated that the body would be looking to claim back the clearance funds under asset recovery acts from any individual successfully prosecuted at the conclusion of its ongoing case.

She added that these arrests would help "move the probe forward" and allow authorities to "pursue more avenues to determine exactly what occurred and who was a party to it".

"This illegal tip at Kidlington was an atrocious and calculated attack on our ecology and officials empathize with the local outrage at this egregious crime," she stated.

A cabinet representative welcomed the detentions, adding: "This unauthorized deposit of waste at this location is appalling and has caused significant detriment to the ecology and anguish to the local residents.

"The administration is pledged to eliminating this kind of criminality throughout the nation, by increasing resources to tackle environmental crime, employing more staff and implementing stricter measures and penalties for those who violate the regulations."

The arrests were made on Thursday by personnel from a regional crime squad and are in addition to an earlier detention of a 39-year-old from the Guildford region in last November. He was released subject to further investigations.