Illegal waste carrier taken to court
Published
Wednesday 6 May, 2026
Updated
Wednesday 6 May, 2026
An illegal waste carrier is more than £800 out of pocket following successful court action by Swale Borough Council.
The waste carrier from Lynsted was stopped during Op Assist.
This is a joint operation where the council and Kent Police routinely work together to target suspected fly-tipping.
Officers carry out stops of vehicles suspected of fly-tipping, collect evidence, and take enforcement action for waste related crimes, while targeting the logistics of larger illegal waste operations.
During these checks on Sheppey Way, Bobbing, the man failed to provide the necessary paperwork, including a waste transfer note, and was issued a fixed penalty notice which he failed to pay.
The man, who is in his 30s, appeared at the Medway Magistrates’ Court on Friday 24 April and pleaded guilty to the offence of failing to provide the waste transfer notes.
The magistrate’s ordered him to pay a total of £852 in fines and costs.
During the hearing, the man told the magistrates that he no longer transports waste, demonstrating the council’s action helped reduce the number of illegal waste carriers operating within Swale.
Cllr Dolley Wooster, chair of the environmental services and climate change committee, said:
“We can all recognise that fly-tipping is a major issue within Swale, with our rural areas routinely being used as dumping grounds costing you, the taxpayer, money to clear while damaging our natural environment.
“One of the tools we can use to combat this is to regulate the movement of waste within Swale, and that is why it is so important for waste carriers to be properly licensed and provide waste transfer notes.
“This helps us make sure that the waste is being responsibly disposed of and won’t end up down our country lanes, and our regular Swale-wide op assists are important for us to be able to enforce these rules.
“It is great to see that these joint operations are leading to successful court action and working to reduce the number of unlawful waste carriers within our borough.
“We need to work together to keep Swale clean; please be wary of cheap waste removal companies, and always make sure you get a transfer note, because if fly-tipping is tracked back to you, you could potentially face a fixed penalty notice too.”
Swale Borough Council regularly carries out these days of action with the Kent Police.
The council’s enforcement team gathers intelligence in advance to help target the right areas to carry out 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. 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 licensed to carry waste by visiting the Environment Agency website, or by calling 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.
You can check what can be disposed of for free here: Charges at HWRCs - Kent County Council.
You can also report fly-tipping you see on Swale Borough Council’s website.
