Fly-tipping in Gravesham sees police and council patrols step up their work

Patrols will be heading out under the cover of darkness in the war against fly-tippers.

Environmental enforcement officers from Gravesham council have teamed up with Kent Police in a new initiative which will see officers carrying out proactive patrolling and road checks in the borough’s rural areas during the evenings, at night time and at weekends.

Many fly-tipping offences take place after dark and on Saturdays and Sundays, and this work will try to catch those involved in environmental crime, and then prosecuted.

In addition, police officers will be checking vehicles for road traffic and criminal offences. Not only do those involved in fly-tipping in the rural areas of Gravesham face the risk of covert cameras, they also now face the possibility of being stopped and, where appropriate, having their vehicles seized by police.

Gravesham council officers already work with the Kent Police Rural Task Force and other partner agencies to target illegal waste carriage and environmental crime. On many occasions those linked with fly-tipping, and their vehicles, are often involved in other criminal activity.

Cabinet Member for community and leisure Cllr Shane Mochrie-Cox said: “We are really pleased to be working with different agencies such as Kent Police to help to find and prosecute those committing environmental crimes in our borough.

“While this operation is mainly aimed at rural areas, officers are also working in the urban areas to prevent fly-tipping, find those responsible and fine and prosecute where we can.