Swale Borough Council teamed up with Kent Police’s Rural Task Force this week to carry out enquiries, arrest people suspected of fly tipping, seize vehicles and collate evidence to prosecute offenders for waste related crimes.
Outcomes of the day are:
2 vehicles seized
5 vehicles stopped and searched
3 Fixed Penalty Notices issued.
5 vehicles stopped and searched
3 Fixed Penalty Notices issued.
Cllr Tim Valentine, cabinet member for environment at the council, said:
“We are pleased to be part of this cross-organisation effort to crack down on fly-tipping across the borough.
During the crackdown we stop all waste carriers to check their paperwork is correct, and to see where the waste has come from and where it will be disposed.
Anybody without the correct paperwork will have their vehicle searched and risks receiving a fixed penalty notice of up to £400 or having their vehicle seized.
We also check with the person who engaged the waste carrier and can issue a fixed penalty notice of up to £400 to anybody suspected of using an unlicensed waste carrier.
We encourage anybody who may need to use the services of a waste carrier to ask for their license before using them.”
More and more of these action days are taking place across the county. A tremendous amount of preparation takes place ahead of these days, including the gathering of vital intelligence to support the council’s enforcement team with their duties.
What can you do to dispose of your waste responsibly?
Fly tippers often target households via social media or local advertising, luring customers in with cheap rates to dispose of unwanted furniture, building rubble or garden waste. However, these unlicensed waste carriers often simply dump the waste wherever they can get away with it, including in Kent’s country lanes.
Householders or small businesses found to be using criminals to dispose of their waste can and are being prosecuted by local authorities in Kent with fixed penalty notices that go up to £400 per offence.
Failure to pay such an FPN may result in court action where fines can be significantly larger.
To prevent this, householders should check whether someone is licenced to carry waste by visiting the Environment Agency website below, or alternatively call: 03708 506506. It also helps if householders receive a written receipt or transfer note, including contact details, description of waste removed and details of where the waste is being taken to.
The 13 Kent councils, along with Kent Police, are working in partnership to Keep Kent Clean.
To keep updated with the councils’ efforts to tackle fly-tipping and littering, follow #KeepKentClean
Swale Borough Council
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