A woman who was outraged to witness an act of fly-tipping in Great Mongeham is calling for the council to take action.

Janet Anning, of Northbourne Road, witnessed a tree maintenance company deposit tree chippings amounting to one and half feet in depth on a bank in the road, on Monday, November 17.

She reported the contractors to Kent County Council who sent out a Highways inspector to evaluate the situation.

However, after the officer had left the scene, the workers continued to deposit the garden waste onto the public land.

Garden rubbish is one of the most common types of fly-tipped waste in the UK. This particular waste is believed to have come from one of Mrs Anning’s neighbour’s gardens, who’d had some tree maintenance carried out.

She said: “I don’t like unfairness and it’s unfair. It’s selfish.

'I don’t like unfairness and it’s unfair. It’s selfish.' - Janet Anning

“Other contractors, they get charged to get rid of their rubbish. I couldn’t believe it that the company could do this so blatantly in public and get away with it.”

The area of land where the garden waste was left is owned by the council and is regularly tended to, especially the grass. Below the bank is a pathway used by people in the village, including those who use the bus stop located about 50 metres away.

She said: “The pathway is a mess. For them to think it is a dumping ground is appalling. No one in a mobility scooter or wheelchair could get past and, if you’re blind, the brambles would rip your face off.”

Mrs Anning thinks the bushes and trees could be cut back more often, allowing better access for people using the pathway. She feels the contractors have just added to the problem.

“I feel they were able to dump the rubbish there because the stretch of pavement and verge has been neglected over the past few years and the trees and bushes have overgrown and I feel they thought they could just do it,” she said.

“It’s not necessary and it is illegal.

“Once a year is all that would be needed to get them back off the pavement.”

The dumped wood chipping remains on the bank nearly a month on, and Mrs Anning is determined to see the right thing done.