🔗 Share this article

A pair of individuals have been detained as part of an inquiry into the tipping of thousands of tonnes of waste in a field in Oxfordshire.

Law enforcement indicated that a 69-year-old was detained at a property in the town of Andover, while a 54-year-old was arrested in the town of Slough in connection with the huge pile of garbage deposited near Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

These arrests follow a recent report which revealed the existence of over 500 unauthorized tips in England, encompassing at a minimum of 11 so-called "major sites" larger than 20,000 tonnes.

A official for the regulatory authorities stated that the detentions were for environmental and proceeds of crime offences and were a "vital step" in continuing inquiries. The two individuals have been released on pre-trial release.

Scale of the Issue

The tipping ground in the Kidlington area, situated between the Cherwell River and the A34, is thought to house approximately 21,000 metric tons of refuse in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) in length and 6m (20ft) tall.

This pile of waste is consists of what seems to be processed residential waste, fragmented plastics, Styrofoam, tires and assorted everyday objects.

It is just one of 517 unlawful dumps across the country, at a minimum of 11 of which are estimated to hold in excess of 20,000 metric tons of garbage. They feature a 280,000-tonne site in the county of Cheshire, two 50,000-tonne locations in Lancashire and Cornwall and a 36,000-tonne tip in Kent.

The total figure of such larger dumps is probably to be larger, as the environmental agency has in the past acknowledged it does not hold information on weight for every unlawful dump.

The majority such locations are in agricultural settings, often concealed, and on land that should be agricultural property.

Organized Operations

Law enforcement state a significant number are managed by organised crime gangs, who are generating money by demanding significantly less than lawful companies to receive and dispose of rubbish.

Firms have to be liable for site fees to use lawful landfill sites, based on the amount and nature of waste they are trying to get rid of, and landfill tax is also levied at just over £126 per tonne.

Local Outrage

Preparation work to clear the Kidlington area location started in recent weeks following concerns over the threat of combustion and the effect that would have on the close-by highway.

A private waste removal company has been awarded the contract to handle the area over the following 12 months at a price of £9.6m.

An compliance officer for the country's environmental crime unit commented that the body would be aiming to recover the remediation funds under asset recovery acts from any individual successfully found guilty at the conclusion of its active investigation.

She further stated that this week's arrests would help "move the probe forward" and enable officials to "pursue more leads to ascertain exactly what happened and who was a party to it".

"This illegal tip at the site was an shocking and deliberate affront on our ecology and we share the community's anger at this egregious act," she stated.

A government minister supported the detentions, stating: "This unlawful dumping of waste at this location is disgraceful and has resulted in considerable damage to the environment and distress to the local population.

"The administration is committed to stamping out this category of criminality across the country, by increasing funds to tackle waste crime, employing more staff and implementing tougher controls and sanctions for those who break the rules."

The arrests were made on Thursday by personnel from a specialist serious crime squad and follow an previous apprehension of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area in the autumn. He was released pending more enquiries.