A mountain of tyres which were illegally dumped along a coastal footpath has finally been cleared by the local authorities.

Earlier this month, KentOnline reported that Kent County Council (KCC) was set to start work to remove the fly-tipping along the Canal Basin, in Gravesend.

The street, which makes up part of the English Coast Path, was originally closed on October 8, 2021, by the council as it was thought the tyres posed a danger to walkers.

It was only meant to be closed for six months yet this was extended and it was expected to be open on December 11, 2022 – but it did not.

In August, fencing was put up to block the entrance to the path and multiple signs were posted on the footbridge warning people the path was closed due to "dangerous tyres."

The tyres were dumped along the street in piles with wires sticking out, clamped together and stacked up, and debris was left in the area near the business on the industrial park at Albion Parade.

Earlier this year, KCC confirmed ongoing enforcement action was being taken with partner organisations, although they could not comment on the specifics of this work.

A spokesman for the authority then stated it would start clearing the path earlier in July and has since confirmed it has now removed them.

The majority of the stacks and larger items have been cleared but the footpath is still closed to the public and there are still scraps and other rubbish along the road. These are due to be removed tomorrow.

A spokesman for KCC said: “While the tyres have been removed by KCC, we are working with partners who are responsible for the clearance of the fly-tipping left at the site.

“Once this is complete we will be able to survey the path to see if any resurfacing work is required.

“While we do not have a date for this work to be completed yet, we will work quickly to restore this area.”

Responsibility for dealing with fly-tipping falls on both local authorities and the Environment Agency depending on its scale.

Councils are responsible for investigating small-scale fly-tipping, while the government department investigates large-scale illegal dumping and serious and organised waste crime.