POLICE officers seized a truck from an illegal encampment at Murston, near Sittingbourne, while carrying out a site check.

At around 1.30pm on Monday the Sittingbourne Neighbourhood Team arrived on the site and noticed that the truck, parked at the junction of Church Road and Dolphin Road, was in a dangerous condition and not roadworthy.

Police spokeswoman Saklly Smith said: "Believing it to be stolen the team seized the vehicle."

Team leader, Sgt Darren Ryder, said: “As soon as we had seized the truck the people staying on the land decided to leave.

"Unfortunately a large amount of rubbish has been left behind. We have made a number of enquiries relating to fly-tipping offences. We are now keen to work with our partners at the council to ensure we can take a robust approach to prosecuting those responsible for the vast amounts of rubbish that was dumped in the area.

“The owners of the site erected a large fence across their premises to stop any further people entering the area.

“I am keen to make sure that residents of Murston feel that we are doing all we can to make their area a safer place to live and will support the action we have taken. I would urge them, that if they have any information that may help us with future community safety initiatives to contact Sittingbourne Police.”

One man was reported for offences of having two vehicles with no insurance. He will be summoned to appear at Sittingbourne Magistrates' Court.