There are fears children could have been playing with rubbish containing asbestos.

Adrian Swift believes a drain pipe containing the deadly material is among the waste dumped in an alleyway that runs behind Second Avenue and First Avenue in Rushenden.

The 34-year-old, who lives in Second Avenue, claimed he reported the fly-tipping to Swale council three weeks ago but said nothing has been done about it.

He said: “I noticed it when I got my car out the garage. It’s all the way along the alley.

“It looks like everyone has dumped their stuff in the garden of a derelict house along there, and it’s now all overflowing.

“Further down, people have chucked other rubbish such as pallets.

“Outside my shed there’s the remains of what looks like an old bonfire as there’s rusty metal and blackened stuff.

“A plumber friend of mine was dropping a fish tank off to me.

“He went up the back access when he noticed the drainpipe and said ‘that’s nice having an asbestos drainpipe laying there’.

“I didn’t realise that’s what it was until then, although I had seen it. I don’t know if it’s due to people driving up and down there, but bits of it have been smashed up.

“I’m worried about the health risks to people who have come into contact with it such as children who may have picked it up, played with it or kicked it about.

“There’s a children’s play area at the end of the access and kids are always going up and down there.

“I reported it and the council said they were going to leaflet residents and clean it up, but nobody has been out yet.”

A spokesman for Swale council said: “We received a report of fly-tipping – a sofa, toilet, piping and poles – in late March and asked contractors to clear the dumped waste.

"Unfortunately, this was not actioned as we’d expect, but should be removed today [Monday], and we apologise for the delay in clearing it up.”