Fly-tippers have dumped an “industrial-scale” load of rubbish near a motorway underpass.

The waste, which includes leaking oil and chemical containers and lots of tyres and car parts, was discovered on Saturday by the M20 in Penenden Heath near Maidstone.

Cllr Tony Harwood (Lib Dem) made the upsetting find on one of his regular litter picks around North Ward.

He said: “It was a shocking mess. I shifted a lot of this rubbish on Saturday morning and Maidstone Borough Council personnel are clearing up the rest now.”

But that was not the only matter of concern that he came across.

He said: “I discovered yet another knife close to Maidstone's High-Level Bridge on Sunday afternoon.

“The very robust and sharp blade was concealed beneath the base of a metal fencing panel adjoining the footway between the bridge and Brenchley Gardens.

“It appeared to have been deliberately hidden.”

Cllr Harwood had previously discovered another blade at almost the same location back in February.

He added: “I am concerned at the decline of our County Town and the normalising of this anti-social behaviour.

“Underinvestment in basic health, social care and youth services, allied with a rapid urban population growth, is undermining community cohesion and quality of life.

“This is totally unacceptable and requires a joined-up multi-agency policy drive to fix 'broken Maidstone'."