Council teams up with police to target fly-tipping

Medway Council has teamed up with Kent Police to target the illegal transfer of waste and fly-tipping.

Operation Dingo is an ongoing council-led operation which is designed to gather intelligence on, disrupt and prosecute those involved in fly-tipping.

On the first day of the operation on Wednesday, 27 November, around 20 vehicles were stopped, mainly in the rural areas of Medway and Gravesham. The driver and occupant’s details were checked by police, while the carrier documentation and vehicle loads were examined by Medway Council’s Environmental Enforcement Team.

The operation demonstrates the strong working relationship between the council and Kent Police.

Cllr Jane Chitty, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Planning, Economic Growth and Regulation, said: “We are pleased to be working in partnership with Kent Police to combat environmental crime. We are committed to tackling fly-tipping in Medway and anyone found to be dumping rubbish will be prosecuted. I would also like to use this opportunity to encourage residents to report fly-tipping incidents to the council so we can arrange to get the waste cleared as quickly as possible.”

Kent Police Inspector Dave Smith said: “Fly-tipping and other forms of environmental crime are a national problem, costing the tax payer millions a year in clear-up costs alone and posing a serious risk to public and ecological health. Over the course of November, officers from the Kent Police Rural Task Force worked alongside local councils, including the Medway Council Environment Enforcement Team, to investigate these offences and target those involved.

“Such joint operations send a strong message to law-breakers intent on fly-tipping or committing other environmental crimes; there is never a good excuse to illegally dispose of waste, you will be caught, and you will be dealt with accordingly.”

For more information, and to report fly-tipping, visit www.medway.gov.uk/flytipping or call 01634 333333.