Drone images reveal 50-metre trail of illegally dumped waste on disused road near the M2 in Kent

  • ITV Meridian's Sarah Saunders has been out with the Maidstone Waste Crime Team.

Drone images have revealed a 50-metre stretch of illegally dumped waste trailing along a disused road.

The 100 tonnes of fly-tipped rubbish near the M2 in Kent is so long it stretches out of sight.

'Waste crime' is a growing problem, across Kent and Sussex, which is damaging woodland, blocking roads and polluting streets.

Hefty fines and prison sentences have done little to deter people. Organised gangs are dumping rubbish to dodge the cost of disposing of it legally.

Maidstone Waste Crime Team say this is organised crime on a county lines scale - and ITV Meridian's cameras were allowed to follow them as they moved in to tackle one of the most serious and brazen acts of 'waste crime' to date.

The dump site near blue bell hill contains domestic waste, still representing a costly clean-up bill for the taxpayer. Credit: ITV News Meridian

Between January to August 2024, Maidstone Borough Council's teams have taken more than 207 tons of fly tip waste to the tip, costing £20,000 to be processed and disposed of.

So far this year, the Maidstone Borough team have received almost 3,000 reports of fly-tipping.

The team says as soon as they discover a dump site, criminals are on the lookout for the next one.

Council teams are using new technology to track down criminals. Credit: ITV News Meridan

The Maidstone waste crime team cover 160 square miles and the council is deploying automatic uplink cameras and drones, to catch perpetrators.

Cllr Clive English, Cabinet member for waste crime, acknowledges that closed recycling centres and recent problems with domestic waste collections could be contributing to the problem.

But as the illegal dumping increases, the council is committed to a "zero-tolerance" stance to crack down on offenders. Fines have been raised to £1,000.

In some serious cases, perpetrators could face imprisonment.

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