Three males had been arrested on Wednesday 5 February as a part of an investigation into the large-scale, unlawful tipping of waste on the Hoads Wooden Website of Particular Scientific Curiosity (SSSI) in Ashford, Kent.
An Surroundings Company press launch stated two of these arrested – aged 44 and 62 – are from the Isle of Sheppey, whereas the third, aged 41, resides close to Sittingbourne. All three have been interviewed, and proof obtained through the arrests will help the following levels of the investigation.
Surroundings Company Enforcement Officers, Kent Police and the Joint Unit for Waste Crime labored carefully collectively to safe the arrests and custody of the suspects.
The Surroundings Company started a felony investigation in 2023 after 30,000 tonnes of family and building waste, piled 15 toes excessive in locations, was found to have been dumped all through Hoads Wooden, close to Ashford.
The regulator secured a courtroom order, banning unauthorised entry to the woodland, which efficiently stopped additional waste from being dumped, and have since appointed a specialist firm to take away the waste and assist return the positioning to its former state.
“Our investigation seeks to determine these answerable for co-ordinating the offending and convey them to courtroom. These arrests mark an necessary subsequent step in delivering justice for the local people.”
The Surroundings Company’s Director of Operations for East and South East England, Simon Hawkins, stated:
“The dumping of 1000’s of tonnes of waste at Hoads Wooden in 2023 was a flagrant act of vandalism – with horrendous penalties for the local people and setting.”
“The Surroundings Company and Kent Police have been working tirelessly to uncover the id of these accountable and convey them to justice, and to take the battle to organised felony networks. The arrest of three people yesterday is a significant step ahead for our investigation and may carry some consolation to residents whose lives have been upended by this crime.”
Sergeant Darren Walshaw of Kent Police’s Rural Process Drive stated:
“Fly-tipping and environmental crime is a blight on Kent’s stunning panorama and we’re dedicated to supporting the Surroundings Company in its ongoing efforts to carry these accountable to justice.”
“We do that by making arrests, gathering proof and finishing up preventative actions together with spot checks of automobiles seen in areas the place such offences are widespread.”
“Individuals who thoughtlessly dump massive volumes of waste are sometimes linked to different types of felony exercise and their unlawful acts should not be tolerated.”
The Surroundings Company stated it was persevering with to watch the positioning for any impact on air or water high quality, and would guarantee all needed environmental authorisations had been in place whereas the waste was cleared.
“In 2023/24, we efficiently shut down 63 unlawful waste websites, bringing the full quantity in operation to 344 – the bottom complete determine on file. Enforcement officers additionally prevented practically 34,000 tonnes of waste from being illegally exported by waste criminals.”
“In case you have any data that will help with this investigation, please name our 24-hour hotline on 0800 807060. Or report anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or the Crimestoppers web site.”