Patrols will be heading out under the cover of darkness in the war against fly-tippers.

Environmental enforcement officers from Gravesham council have teamed up with Kent Police in a new initiative which will see officers carrying out proactive patrolling and road checks in the borough’s rural areas during the evenings, at night time and at weekends.

Many fly-tipping offences take place after dark and on Saturdays and Sundays, and this work will try to catch those involved in environmental crime, and then prosecuted.

In addition, police officers will be checking vehicles for road traffic and criminal offences. Not only do those involved in fly-tipping in the rural areas of Gravesham face the risk of covert cameras, they also now face the possibility of being stopped and, where appropriate, having their vehicles seized by police.

Gravesham council officers already work with the Kent Police Rural Task Force and other partner agencies to target illegal waste carriage and environmental crime. On many occasions those linked with fly-tipping, and their vehicles, are often involved in other criminal activity.

Cabinet Member for community and leisure Cllr Shane Mochrie-Cox said: “We are really pleased to be working with different agencies such as Kent Police to help to find and prosecute those committing environmental crimes in our borough.

“While this operation is mainly aimed at rural areas, officers are also working in the urban areas to prevent fly-tipping, find those responsible and fine and prosecute where we can.

“Gravesham is a beautiful place and those responsible for these selfish, inconsiderate crimes should be ashamed of themselves. We will do everything we can to try to put a stop to them.”

One of the latest operations took place on Thursday, May 5 when environmental enforcement officers from Gravesham council and officers from Kent Police Special Constabulary carried out a number of road checks in rural areas which have been subjected to high levels of fly-tipping.

News of the patrols comes in the same week that Gravesham council reported another successful prosecution.

Aman Sahota, from, Oakdeane Avenue, Erith, pleaded guilty at Medway Magistrates Court for an offence in relation to fly-tipping in Buckland Road, Higham, in June 2021.

A spokesman said: "Evidence was found linking the defendant to the offence. A Gravesham Borough Council Environmental Enforcement Team officer requested Sahota provide documents which would have identified who was responsible. He failed to do so and subsequently failed to engage with officers.

"He pleaded guilty to the offence and was fined and required to pay costs totalling £741."

Cabinet member for community and leisure Cllr Shane Mochrie-Cox said: “As a borough and as a society we should not be in a situation where we are needing to catch and fine people for littering, fly-tipping or any such environmental crime.

"Dumping rubbish in any place is not acceptable and we will continue to catch and fine these people.

"We have hidden cameras and plenty of other means of catching these offenders and will continue to do so. I’d like to personally thank all of the officers at the council working tirelessly to find these criminals and to those that have to clear the rubbish time and time again.”

To find out more about fly-tipping, disposal of rubbish and reporting fly-tipping click here.