Two more men arrested over huge illegal waste dump near Kidlington
The clean-up of the 150-metre heap took five months and cost an estimated £6 million
Two more men have been arrested in an investigation into the illegal dumping of a mountain of waste near the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire.
The 150-metre long heap of waste in a field alongside the A34 in Kidlington provoked widespread outrage in October and the Environment Agency (EA) confirmed on Tuesday that a 21-year-old male from Ashford in Surrey and a 43-year-old male from Stanwell in Surrey had been arrested.
The clean-up operation, which concluded last month, took five months.
An estimated 22,704 tonnes of rubbish were cleared, with the operation costing an estimated £6 million.
The EA said the latest arrests brings the total number of people apprehended to six, after one arrest in February, two in January and one in November.
The watchdog shut down the Kidlington site in October after officers discovered continued criminal activity following the first report of dumping at the site in July 2025.
Colin Chiverton, area environment manager for the Thames at the Environment Agency, 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.”
Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said: “This Government said we’d take on waste criminals and that’s exactly what we’re doing.
“These arrests are another step towards delivering justice for Kidlington residents, who have had to put up with the dumping of disgusting waste.
“The years of waste crime being allowed to fester have ended. We are taking decisive action through our crackdown and putting more officers on the frontline to restore pride in our communities.”
The two men have been released on conditional bail pending further investigations.