🔗 Share this article

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

Officials reported that a 69-year-old was detained at a residence in the town of Andover, while a man in his fifties was arrested in Slough, Berkshire in connection with the enormous mound of garbage dumped near the area of Kidlington.

These apprehensions follow a recent investigation which revealed the operation of in excess of 500 illegal sites throughout England, encompassing at least 11 so-called "super sites" greater than 20,000 tonnes.

A official for the regulatory authorities stated that the arrests were for ecological and proceeds of crime violations and were a "crucial step" in continuing investigations. The two individuals have been set free on bail.

Scale of the Issue

The dump in near Kidlington, positioned between the Cherwell River and the A34 road, is believed to contain approximately 21,000 tons of rubbish in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) in height.

This mound of garbage is made up of what looks to be sorted domestic waste, fragmented plastic materials, polystyrene, automobile tires and assorted domestic articles.

It is just one of 517 unlawful sites in England, at minimum 11 of which hold in excess of 20,000 tons of garbage. They include a 280,000-tonne area in Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire county and Cornwall county and a 36,000-tonne dump in Kent.

The overall amount of such bigger sites is likely to be higher, as the environment agency has in the past stated it does not possess records on weight for each unlawful site.

Most such locations are in agricultural locations, frequently concealed, and on land that is intended to be farm land.

Organised Enterprise

Authorities report many are operated by organised crime gangs, who are generating cash by demanding far less than licensed operators to take and bury rubbish.

Businesses have to be liable for disposal fees to use legitimate disposal sites, contingent on the volume and nature of refuse they are trying to get rid of, and landfill tax is also levied at just over £126 per ton.

Community Outrage

Preparation work to remove the affected location commenced in recent weeks amid worries over the risk of combustion and the consequences that would have on the adjacent highway.

A commercial waste removal firm has been awarded the contract to deal with the location over the coming 12 months period at a price of £9.6m.

An compliance officer for the government environmental crime division commented that the authority would be looking to claim back the clearance costs under asset recovery acts from any party ultimately found guilty at the termination of its current investigation.

She added that the recent arrests would help "move the investigation forward" and allow officials to "follow more leads to ascertain in detail what happened and who was a party to it".

"This illegal tip at Kidlington was an appalling and intentional attack on our environment and officials share the public's anger at this egregious offence," she stated.

A government representative praised the arrests, commenting: "The unlawful tipping of rubbish at the site is appalling and has resulted in significant detriment to the environment and distress to the local residents.

"The government is pledged to eliminating this kind of illegal activity throughout the country, by increasing funds to address illegal dumping, recruiting more personnel and implementing tougher measures and penalties for those who flout the rules."

The arrests were made on the specified day by personnel from a dedicated crime unit and follow an prior arrest of a man in his thirties from the Guildford region in the autumn. He was released awaiting more investigations.