This is the eyesore that has landed a Chatham man with big fine and court courts.

Darren Bodkin ignored orders from the council to clean up the ugly pile of rubbish on the driveway of his home in Sedge Crescent - and the mess is still there today. However, he has been landed with a hefty bill.

Following complaints from residents, Medway Council wrote to Bodkin, 43, in January last year asking him to clean up his drive had a discarded leather sofa, household waste and a broken window frame.

Officers returned to the home in March to check that the work had been completed, but little had been done to deal with it - in fact it had got worse.

The council served a section 215 notice on Bodkin giving him until May 11 to bring the front area of his home back to an acceptable standard, or face action.

Officers who returned after the deadline date found that no work had been carried out and Bodkin had made no contact with the local authority.

A court hearing was set for December 19 at Medway Magistrates' Court, but Bodkin did not attend. The case was heard in his absence and magistrates found him guilty of breaching section 216 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Bodkin was fined £600 and costs of £150.

Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder in charge of Enforcement Cllr Jane Chitty said: “Everyone has a responsibility to keep Medway tidy, and this individual could have easily complied with the notice, tidied up his driveway and kept this out of court. We all need to respect the local environment, but those who don’t and ignore notices, will be prosecuted.”

Officers recently revisited the property and found the driveway area was still in a state, despite some clear up work having evidently taken place.