A 32-tonne tipper truck has been seized after contaminated waste was seen being dumped.

Maidstone Borough Council’s (MBC) Waste Crime Team traced the vehicle after it was picked up on a camera in Thanet.

The truck had been used to illegally dump a large load of road surfacing material and asphalt in August last year.

Since then, the team has been investigating the crime and managed to identify the owner.

Using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), the truck was spotted in Thanet last month and seized by MBC. It is now been impounded, subject to the driver being prosecuted.

Cabinet member for environmental services Cllr Patrik Garten said: “This is a great result for the council’s Waste Crime Team which works hard to stop fly-tipping and littering across the borough of Maidstone.

“People need to understand that fly-tipping is a crime and if caught their vehicles will be seized and they will be heavily fined.”

Since January 2021, the MBC Waste Crime Team has investigated 103 offences of waste crime and issued Fixed Penalty Notice Fines (FPNs) generating £26,000.

MBC increased the maximum value of FPNs in October last year. Those caught littering can now be fined up to £500 and fly-tipping up to £1,000.

If prosecuted, there is an unlimited fine and the risk of a prison sentence.

Cllr Garten added: “The council is determined to stamp out waste crime and is doing all it can to reduce the impact this has on the people of Maidstone.

“They will do this by way of enforcement action and issue FPNs when needed.”