Intelligence officer to look at fly-tipping

Ashford Borough Council is cracking down on fly-tipping with an intelligence officer.

Cabinet members agreed earlier this month to a two-year trial of the shared use of the officer who will be investigating fly-tipping cases across Kent and is being supported by funding the council provides to the Kent Resource Partnership.

The officer, who will be based with Kent County Council, will receive data from police and residents who submit information on fly-tipping incidents via Ashford’s Report It system.

The scheme will allow the council to track and enforce against persistent waste criminals who ignore the rules and continue to dump rubbish in the borough, which is a criminal offence.

It is hoped the new scheme, alongside the new legislation to issue fixed penalty notices (FPN) of £400 to those caught dumping waste, will lead to a reduction in the offences.