Six commercial drivers were caught red handed trying to dump waste which they should have had a a license for.

A multi agency crackdown by the police neighbourhood team, Maidstone council's environmental enforcers and Clean Kent, caught the drivers on Wednesday (July 14).

The operation was targeting drivers fly tipping waste in a domestic waste site. Four of them were fined £300 for failing to have a waste-carrying license.

Commercial waste can range from bricks, slates, partition walling, toilets and broken lavatories and can even contain asbestos and can have a massive environmental impact.

As part of a usual monthly operation, police and council staff partition junctions in Maidstone to stop commercial vehicles carrying waste, to check their licenses.

And on Wednesday, the police neighbourhood team joined them to ensure drivers were giving their correct identification and to check for driving violations.

Neighbourhood Police Constable James Williams said: “It’s a joint partnership operation and they (the council) give us information on what to look out for and likewise if they have any problems, we are there to assist them.

"Offences of this nature can result in a fixed penalty notice or a summons to court. On behalf of the council, they will receive a hefty fine for committing any waste offences.”

Environmental enforcement officer Terry O’Brien said: “The waste has to go to a commercial site, the nearest of which is in Sittingbourne, which is why they come here to Tovil.

"If you are going to be carrying waste you need to get a licence, if you do not get a license and you are stopped, you will be fined.”