Arrests Made in Relation to Enormous Unlawful Rubbish Dump
A pair of individuals have been detained as an element of an investigation into the tipping of several thousand of tons of refuse in a field in Oxfordshire.
Officials indicated that a 69-year-old was arrested at a property in the town of Andover, while a man in his fifties was detained in Slough in connection with the huge mound of waste dumped near Kidlington.
These arrests follow a previous revelation which exposed the operation of over 500 unauthorized tips throughout England, encompassing at least 11 so-called "major sites" greater than 20,000 tons.
A representative for the environmental body said that the detentions were for environment-related and proceeds of crime violations and constituted a "crucial step" in continuing inquiries. The apprehended men have been released on pre-trial release.
Magnitude of the Problem
The dump in near Kidlington, located between the river Cherwell and the A34, is believed to contain around 21,000 metric tons of refuse in a mound which is up to 150m (490ft) lengthwise and 6m (20ft) in height.
This mound of rubbish is consists of what appears to be treated household rubbish, fragmented plastic materials, polystyrene, tyres and assorted everyday objects.
It is just one example of 517 unlawful sites across the country, at a minimum of 11 of which hold over 20,000 tonnes of rubbish. 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 dump in Kent.
The actual amount of such bigger locations is expected to be higher, as the regulatory body has earlier stated it does not hold data on tonnage for every unlawful tip.
Most such locations are in agricultural areas, typically hidden, and on land that is zoned as farm property.
Organised Operations
Police say a significant number are run by organized crime groups, who are generating money by asking for significantly less than licensed operators to accept and landfill waste.
Businesses have to be liable for gate fees to use lawful waste facilities, based on the quantity and type of material they are trying to discard, and a waste tax is also applied at just over £126 per tonne.
Local Frustration
Preparatory efforts to clean up the Kidlington area site started in recent weeks amid fears over the threat of combustion and the impact that would have on the close-by A-road.
A private waste removal company has been awarded the task to deal with the site over the next 12 months at a price of £9.6m.
An compliance official for the national environmental crime team stated that the agency would be aiming to recoup the clean-up expenses under confiscation acts from any individual ultimately prosecuted at the conclusion of its current case.
She added that this week's detentions would help "push the inquiry forward" and enable the agency to "follow more leads to ascertain in detail what occurred and who was a party to it".
"The unauthorized site at the site was an shocking and calculated assault on our ecology and the authorities understand the community's outrage at this horrific offence," she said.
A cabinet representative welcomed the arrests, adding: "This unlawful dumping of rubbish at Kidlington is utterly appalling and has resulted in significant detriment to the ecology and anguish to the nearby community.
"Our government is pledged to eliminating this category of criminality throughout the UK, by increasing resources to tackle waste crime, recruiting more staff and introducing stricter controls and penalties for those who flout the regulations."
The detentions were carried out on a recent Thursday by personnel from a specialist organised crime squad and are in addition to an prior arrest of a 39-year-old from the Guildford area region in last November. He was set free pending additional investigations.
