People were left “shocked” when they went to recycle their glass and saw mounds of fly-tipped clothing in front of charity bins.

Black bin bags full of clothes, coats and shoes were dumped in front of the Salvation Army donation points alongside loose items and cardboard boxes at Cascades Leisure Centre in Gravesend.

Riverview resident Iliana Antonelo went to drop off her glass to recycle it at the bottle banks on Monday (September 2) when she came across the mess.

She said: “It is just unbelievable, something needs to be done.

“I do not think enough is being done to educate or to fine this type of behaviour.

“If there is no education in schools about not throwing trash around the streets, public squares, or like that in Cascades, what will the next generation be like?”

Gravesham council said it wanted to assure residents that it does take legal action against fly-tippers.

A spokesman for the local authority said: “The contents of the recycling banks at Cascades are cleared regularly by our own teams and representatives of the Salvation Army who manage the textile banks.

“Residents should be aware that leaving recycling and other waste outside of the bins is a fly-tipping offence.

“Our environmental enforcement team regularly monitors areas such as this through the use of mobile CCTV cameras. We do not publicise where these will be ahead of their deployment.

“As was seen just last month when surveillance at the recycling point at Morrison’s supermarket in Northfleet resulted in 35 people facing £1,000 fines or court action, where we have evidence of individuals fly-tipping, we take action.

“Anyone tempted to fly-tip at the recycling point at Cascades risks facing similar consequences.”

Over a period of three weeks, the council’s CCTV recorded numerous cases of illegal dumping at the supermarket in Coldharbour Road.

Household waste, furniture, tyres, and even complete house clearances were among the items left outside the recycling banks.

The cameras also captured incidents of people urinating, along with criminal damage, and in one case a male abandoning several cats from a van.

Speaking at the time, Cllr Shane Mochrie-Cox, the council’s cabinet member for strategic environment, said: “People need to understand they are committing an offence by dumping material next to the recycling bins.

“If the bins are full, take your items home and try another time.

“We have shown time and again that we do not tolerate fly-tipping in Gravesham, no matter how big or how seemingly small the offence.

“Our environmental enforcement officers have a tremendous track record of identifying offenders, and when we find you, you will face a significant penalty and risk a criminal conviction.”