Two more men arrested over huge illegal waste dump

Two more men have been arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into a giant illegal waste dump. The site in Kidlington, discovered between the River Cherwell and the A34 in Oxfordshire last October, contained about 21,000 tonnes of waste in a pile 150m (490ft) long and 6m (20ft) high. The rubbish was cleared during a five-month operation costing an estimated £6m. A 21-year-old man from Ashford in Surrey and a 43-year-old man from Stanwell in Surrey have been arrested, the Environment Agency (EA) announced. Previous arrests took place in November, January and February, bringing the total number to six. The site in Kidlington has now been cleared Colin Chiverton, area environment manager for the Thames at the EA, said: "The dumping at Kidlington was abhorrent and had no regard for the local community. "We moved quickly to remove all illegal waste from the site, and our teams continue to work tirelessly on this investigation. "These arrests are another vital step in collecting new evidence and delivering justice for the residents of Kidlington." The men have been released on conditional bail pending further investigations. The pile was up to 490ft (150m) long and 20ft (6m) high The site, which the EA said was larger than the pitch at Wembley Stadium, was shut down by officers in October 2025. It declared it a critical incident in November. The agency funded the clear-up, although officials said they would pursue those responsible for the money as their investigation developed. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has set out new plans to shut down the criminal gangs running illegal waste sites, including giving the EA stronger powers to tackle waste crime. The EA investigation is being led by its National Environmental Crime Unit, with support from Surrey Police and the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit.