Two men have been arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into the large-scale, illegal tipping of waste at a site in Kidlington, the Environment Agency has announced today (30 January).

In warrants executed yesterday (29 January), officers from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU), working in support of the Environment Agency and alongside Thames Valley Police, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary and Surrey Police, secured the arrest of the suspects at two separate locations.

A 69 year old male was arrested at a property in Andover while a 54 year old male was apprehended in Slough. Both were arrested for environmental and money laundering offences.

The Environment Agency's investigation is being led by its National Environmental Crime Unit, which is seeking to find those responsible for the offending and hold them to account. The arrests build on an arrest made in November and is another welcome step in delivering justice for the local community.

Emma Viner, Enforcement and Investigations Manager in the Environment Agency's National Environmental Crime Unit, said:

The illegal dump at Kidlington was an atrocious and deliberate attack on our environment, and the Environment Agency shares the community's anger at this horrific crime.

Our teams have been working tirelessly with the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit on this investigation. These joint efforts have resulted in further arrests, which are another vital step in collecting new evidence and progressing our investigation.

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said:

The illegal dumping of waste at Kidlington is appalling and has caused significant damage to the environment and distress to the local community.

I welcome these arrests - an important step in securing justice for local residents.

The government is committed to stamping out this type of criminality across the country, by boosting funds to tackle waste crime, hiring more officers and introducing tougher checks and penalties for those who break the law.

Both suspects have been released on conditional bail pending further investigation.

Following the first report of waste being tipped in Kidlington, the Environment Agency responded immediately with officers attending the site on 2 July 2025. A further site visit carried out in July showed no change to the site and no further waste deposits therefore a cease-and-desist letter was issued to ensure further tipping was prevented.

After officers became aware of continued criminal activity on site in October 2025, a court order was sought and granted to close the site. Since this was granted on 23 October 2025, no further tipping has taken place.

In December, the Environment Agency announced that planning work to clear up the illegal site had begun. A waste removal contract has since been signed and Acumen Waste Services Ltd are now preparing ahead of the waste removal activities, which are planned for the end of February.

We will share regular updates via social media, our blog and engagement HQ, so people can follow progress without visiting the site. Any information can be reported to the Environment Agency via its 24-hour incident hotline at 0800 807060 or anonymously via CrimeStoppers.