Two men from Surrey, aged 21 and 43, have been arrested over the illegal waste site in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, where more than 22,000 tonnes of waste was dumped — bringing the total number of arrests in the investigation to six.

The Environment Agency's National Environmental Crime Unit is leading the investigation, supported by Surrey Police and the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit. Both men have been released on conditional bail pending further inquiries.

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," he added. "These arrests are another vital step in collecting new evidence and delivering justice for the residents of Kidlington."

How did the site operate?

Investigators believe an organised criminal gang dumped waste across 8,000 square metres of land between the A34 and the River Cherwell in Kidlington. The material was a mix of commercial and household waste, including tyres, shredded plastic and household rubbish.

Eyewitness accounts reported illegal dumping taking place every night for months, involving excavators and truckloads of waste.

The timeline of enforcement has drawn scrutiny. In June 2025, the local council contacted the Environment Agency after becoming aware of illegal activity on the site.

The regulator issued a cease-and-desist letter to the landowner in July 2025. It later secured a court order closing all public access to the site and preventing further tipping on 23 October 2025.

That 16-week gap between the cease-and-desist letter and the court order drew criticism from within the waste sector and from legal professionals.

What did the clean-up cost?

Last month, the Environment Agency confirmed it had removed all waste from the Oxfordshire site at a cost of £6 million to the taxpayer.

The operation involved fully digging up and removing around 22,105 tonnes of commercial and household waste from the site.

What happens next?

The two latest arrests are released on conditional bail while the National Environmental Crime Unit continues gathering evidence. The decisive milestones ahead are the charging decisions from the investigation and any court proceedings against those responsible — outcomes that will also test whether the EA's enforcement pace, questioned during the 16-week enforcement gap, holds up to sector scrutiny.