Not one fine was dished out to fly-tippers in Swale during 2019/20 - despite more than 2,600 incidents reported.

But the local authority which covers Sittingbourne, Faversham and the Isle of Sheppey has gone into overdrive in the first three months of this year, handing out more than £9,000 in penalty notices to tackle the nuisance.

Since March, Swale council has caught 29 people on camera dumping rubbish in the car park opposite the Ship on Shore pub in Marine Parade, Sheerness.

It says each offender will receive a fixed penalty notice of £400, which is reduced to £300 if paid within 10 days. It warns those who refuse to pay will be prosecuted in court.

A further three people received fines of £150 for littering.

Recent data detailing the fly-tipping capital of Kent revealed that neither Swale with 2,633 fly-tipping reports or Ashford, with 1,538 incidents, issued any fixed penalty charges in 2019/20.

However, a Swale council spokesman insisted it did issue 25 fixed penalty notices for “waste-related” offences but agreed some may have not been specifically for fly-tipping.

The spokesman added: “We regularly worked with Kent Police on rural task force Operation Assist days to crack down on fly-tipping and introduced a new duty of care for householders as a sanction for those who didn’t use licensed carriers to dispose of their waste responsibly.

“Although our fly-tipping numbers are higher than other boroughs we managed to reduce overall fly-tipping by more than 5% in this particular year.”

Speaking about the recent fines, cabinet member for environment Cllr Julian Saunders said: “We have three large, grey, locked bins for our beach cleaners in the car park opposite the Ship on Shore that people are dumping their waste in front of.

“Deck chairs, sofa cushions, a clothes airer, toolbox, black bin bags full of rubbish, garden waste and even rubble have been dumped.

“Each bin has bright pink signs on the front and sides warning people not to fly-tip. We also have signs along the seawall as well as on the entrance gate so nobody can claim they didn’t know they couldn’t leave their rubbish.

“With the nearest household waste and recycling centre less than a mile away, fly-tipping is unacceptable.

“Modernising our CCTV and surveillance capabilities to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour is a council priority. We'll prosecute anybody caught on camera dumping their waste."

He added: “Let this be a deterrent to anybody considering a visit to the car park to dispose of their waste. We will see you and we will prosecute you. Why risk a £400 fine when a visit to the tip is free?”

To arrange collection of up to four bulky items, call Swale council on 01795 417 850.

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