News MBC seizes fly-tippers truck
As part of the continued work combating fly-tipping, Maidstone Borough Council’s (MBC) Waste Crime Team has helped seize a 32 tonne tipper truck.
The vehicle had been used to illegally dump a large load of contaminated waste (Tarmac and Asphalt) in August 2023. Since then, the MBC team has been investigating the crime and identified the owner of the vehicle which was witnessed fly-tipping the waste.
Using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), the truck was spotted in Thanet last month, seized by the MBC team and is currently compounded subject to the driver being prosecuted.
Cllr Patrik Garten, MBC Cabinet Member for Environmental Services said:
This is a great result for the Council’s Waste Crime Team which works hard to stop fly-tipping and littering across the borough of Maidstone. People need to understand that fly-tipping is a crime and if caught their vehicles will be seized and they will be heavily fined.
Since January 2021, the MBC Waste Crime Team has carried out various enforcement actions. They investigated 103 offences of waste crime and issued Fixed Penalty Notice Fines generating £26,000.
In October last year, MBC increased the maximum value of Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) that can be issued to those breaking the law by fly-tipping or littering. Under the new law, those caught littering can be fined up to £500 and fly tipping up to £1,000. However, if prosecuted, there is an unlimited fine and the risk of a prison sentence.
Cllr Garten continued:
The Council is determined to stamp out waste crime and is doing all it can to reduce the impact this has on the people of Maidstone. They will do this by way of enforcement action and issue fixed penalty notices when needed.
As part of other waste crime work the MBC team has dealt with 40 abandoned vehicles since 1 January 2024 and currently has 25 live cases under investigation.
Anyone who sees an offence being committed is asked to report it on the Maidstone Borough Council website: www.maidstone.gov.uk