Two men have been arrested in connection with the infamous illegal waste site in Kidlington where more than 22,000 tonnes of waste was illegally dumped.
Six people have now been arrested as part of the investigation, which is being led by the Environment Agency’s National Environmental Crime Unit, supported by Surrey Police and the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit.
The two men, a 21-year-old and a 43-year-old from Surrey, have been released on conditional bail pending further investigations.
Commenting on the arrests, 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.”
An organised criminal gang is believed to have dumped the waste across 8,000 square metres of land between the A34 and the River Cherwell in Kidlington.
In June 2025, the local council contacted the Environment Agency when it became aware of illegal activity on the site.
The Environment Agency issued a cease-and-desist letter to the landowner in July that year. The regulator later secured a court order to close all public access to the site and prevent further tipping on 23 October 2025.
The 16-week gap between the cease-and-desist letter and the court order led to criticism from inside the waste sector and from legal professionals.
According to eyewitness accounts, illegal dumping occurred on the site every night for months, involving excavators and truckloads of waste.
Last month, the Environment Agency announced that all the waste had been removed from the Oxfordshire site, costing the taxpayer £6 million.
As part of the clean-up operation, around 22,105 tonnes of commercial and household waste, including tyres, shredded plastic, and household rubbish, were fully dug up and removed from the site in Kidlington.
