A Milton builder has been fined more than £700 after waste he created was fly-tipped in Tonge.

Paul Dadswell, 52, of Langley Road in Milton Regis, was fined £735 by Swale council after pleading guilty to failing to comply with the duty of care for rubbish he created.

A large quantity of building waste including construction materials and plasterboard were dumped in Lower Road in November 2015, leading the council to investigate.

Dadswell admitted giving the rubbish to an unknown couple without checking they were registered to take it away and dispose of it properly.

He also didn’t obtain a transfer note about him passing on the waste and admitted he never kept any duty of care notes, despite his job.

The council prosecuted under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and he appeared before Maidstone magistrates on Thursday.

He was fined £250 for two charges, ordered to pay £205 in costs and a victim surcharge of £30.

Cllr Alan Horton (Con), cabinet member for safer families and communities, said: “We spend tens of thousands of pounds of council taxpayers money every year clearing up fly-tipping.

“Anyone producing waste has a duty to ensure they know who is taking their waste away, and that it will be disposed of appropriately. Failure to do so could result in a hefty fine.

“By failing to make sure the waste was taken by a licenced carrier he caused a significant amount of waste being fly-tipped in the local countryside.

“Anyone offering the service must be registered to carry waste, or it could end up dumped, and you could be prosecuted for failing to take reasonable steps in preventing a fly tipping incident.”

To find out more about fly-tipping, visit the council's website and to check whether someone is licensed to carry waste visit visit the Environment Agency website or call 03708 506506.