Officers from Kent Police’s Rural Taskforce collaborated with Dartford and Gravesham Councils on an operation aimed at those who illegally transport and dispose of waste.
On Wednesday, July 13, 2022, officers stopped more than 30 vehicles to ensure that the drivers were following the law.
Two vans carrying scrap metal and other materials were stopped separately in Dartford’s Bob Dunn Way and Gravesend’s Ladywood Road. Both drivers received a £300 fixed Penalty Notice for failing to have a valid waste transport licence.
Another vehicle was seized because it was uninsured, and a fourth was reported for failing to pay its road tax.
‘Fly-tipping blights communities and, in some cases, poses a significant health risk to the public,’ said Sergeant Darren Walshaw. As a result, we will continue to collaborate closely with our partners to send a clear message that this illegal activity will not be tolerated.
‘I would advise anyone looking to have waste removed from their property to make sure the person they hire has a valid licence for the job.’
‘While our own environmental enforcement team is doing excellent work to catch offenders within the borough boundaries, these joint operations across a wider area send a really strong message out to fly-tippers and those who pay for their services that there is a united front across north-west Kent to make their lives as difficult as possible,’ said Cllr Shane Mochrie-Cox, Gravesham Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Community & Leisure.
‘Fly-tippers don’t know where or when we will target them again, but we will, and together we will not hesitate to deprive them of the tools of their illegal trade and, where appropriate, seek to enforce and prosecute, as we have done and will do again.’
Dartford Council Leader Jeremy Kite stated, “One vehicle dumping waste in our roads and green spaces can cause a lot of disruption for local people.” Stopping and inspecting 32 suspicious vehicles in a single day will go a long way toward making people’s lives easier.
‘This operation continues to be a vital collaboration between councils and Kent Police.’ Dartford Council is doing its part to combat environmental crime and make life difficult for criminals who cause a blight on our community and endanger public health.’
