Appeal Following Mass Tyre Dumping

Swale Borough Council are appealing for any information following the dumping of 118 tyres last week on the roadside in Bobbing, Hartlip, Iwade, Lower Halstow and Upchurch.

Cllr Nicholas Hampshire, Deputy Cabinet Member For Safer Families And Communities, told SFM News: "Cleaning up any fly-tipped waste is time-consuming and expensive - and the cost of collecting and disposing of these tyres is ultimately paid for by council tax payers, money that could otherwise be spent in ways that directly benefit residents. As well as trying to track down the offenders, we are also encouraging people to think about how they dispose of their waste, including old tyres".

He went on to add: "Anyone - households or businesses - producing waste has a duty to make sure they know who is taking their waste away, and that it will be disposed of appropriately. Failure to do so could result in a hefty fine. Anyone offering to take waste away must be registered to carry it, or it might end up dumped and you could be prosecuted for failing to take reasonable steps in preventing a fly tipping incident."

To check whether someone is licenced to carry waste visit the Environment Agency website or call 03708 506 506.

For more information about fly-tipping, and what the council is doing to tackle it, visit www.swale.gov.uk/fly-tipping.

Anyone with any information, in confidence, is asked to contact Swale Borough Council on 01795 417 850.