Street wardens are hot on the heels of fly-tippers in Sheerness.

The Swale Council target team visited Marine Town in Sheerness to clear up rubbish and organise extra collections of dumped waste.

Wardens are cracking down because of continual dumping in many alleyways in the area.

They went through dumped sacks to find evidence of whose rubbish it was and items found included sofas and rolls of carpet.

Jan Milgate, one of the council’s street wardens, said: “The council cares passionately about winning this battle against those who flytip their waste and dump their rubbish in Marine Town.

“We will not give up. We will continue to take a tough line on those who spoil this area for everyone else and spend many days throughout the year investigating exactly who is responsible for these selfish actions.”

Cllr Cindy Davis, Swale council’s executive portfolio holder for the environment, said it costs the council thousands of pounds each year to make the extra collections.

She added: “Everyone living in the area deserves to have a cleaner town in which to live, and it’s a shame that there are those who spoil this for others.”

The council can issue fixed penalty notices for anyone found to be dumped their waste, and has issued 11 in the last six months.

Six people who didn’t pay the fixed penalty notice were then prosecuted.

Flytipping can result in a £50,000 fine and/or a custodial sentence.

* Anyone with information on offenders can call Swale Council on 01795 417850, or report it via the council’s website www.swale.gov.uk.