Waste dumping on an industrial scale has been allowed to continue for at least six years at a riverside site designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Up to 40 lorries a day are unloading tons of building materials, skips full of household materials and cars at Brambletree Wharf at Borstal near Rochester turning what was marsh and farm lands into a massive scrap yard.

Much of the waste is burnt, with acrid smoke often seen billowing from giant mounds of refuse.

There are now fears the expansion of the land near the M2 motorway bridge could also lead to pollution of the River Medway.

Rochester and Strood MP Kelly Tolhurst, who lives in the village, has been battling to get the activity stopped for years.

She said: "I have been pleading for somebody from the Environment Agency to pay a site visit. But now this has gone too far.

"If nothing is done by the end of the month, I shall be getting a senior minister and George Eustice, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs involved.

She added: "This is not blatant fly-tipping but organised waste disposal which has escalated during lockdown.

"There needs to be a multi-agency operation involving the Environment Agency, the council and police to get rid of this operation, for the sake of residents and the environment."

Residents say lorries start arriving from 6.30am and there's a constant flow along the Esplanade in Rochester and through the village all day.

A spokesman for the owner of the site, John Treeby, told the BBC he was bringing in topsoil for his part of the land to help grow grass for horses.

He added Mr Treeby was in the process of trying to evict skip companies who rent the land next to where the waste is being deposited.

Ward councillor Stuart Tranter has had several meetings with concerned people who live nearby who have say they have felt intimidated and frightened by those on site.

He said: "It's unbelievable nothing has been done. People are asking me what's going on and I have to say 'I don't know'.

"I was walking along the sea wall and somebody shouted at me to get off his land.

"If the operation is illegal it needs to be stopped or the site restored.

"But one way or another the community demands answers, and soon. We have been patient for long enough.

An Environment Agency spokesman said: “Our specialist officers are investigating alleged illegal activity at a waste site at Wouldham Road in Borstal.

“We keep all enforcement options under constant review, and are grateful to members of the public who contacted us about the site.

"Anyone with new concerns, or information relating to alleged disposal of waste at the site, can call our incident hotline on 0800 807060.”

A 73-year-old resident, who did not wish to be named for fear of reprisals, said: "It's been absolutely diabolical. We get lorries coming past from 6am and at least 30 a day,

"It's like a doodlebug flying past," said the retired civil engineer.