Three men were arrested on Wednesday 5 February as part of an investigation into the large-scale, illegal tipping of waste at the Hoads Wood Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Ashford, Kent.
An Environment Agency press release said two of those arrested – aged 44 and 62 – are from the Isle of Sheppey, while the third, aged 41, resides near Sittingbourne. All three have been interviewed, and evidence obtained during the arrests will support the next stages of the investigation.
Environment Agency Enforcement Officers, Kent Police and the Joint Unit for Waste Crime worked closely together to secure the arrests and custody of the suspects.
The Environment Agency began a criminal investigation in 2023 after 30,000 tonnes of household and construction waste, piled 15 feet high in places, was discovered to have been dumped throughout Hoads Wood, near Ashford.
The regulator secured a court order, banning unauthorised access to the woodland, which successfully stopped further waste from being dumped, and have since appointed a specialist company to remove the waste and help return the site to its former state.
“Our investigation seeks to establish those responsible for co-ordinating the offending and bring them to court. These arrests mark an important next step in delivering justice for the local community.”
The Environment Agency’s Director of Operations for East and South East England, Simon Hawkins, said:
“The dumping of thousands of tonnes of waste at Hoads Wood in 2023 was a flagrant act of vandalism – with horrendous consequences for the local community and environment.”
“The Environment Agency and Kent Police have been working tirelessly to uncover the identity of those responsible and bring them to justice, and to take the fight to organised criminal networks. The arrest of three individuals yesterday is a major step forward for our investigation and should bring some comfort to residents whose lives have been upended by this crime.”
Sergeant Darren Walshaw of Kent Police’s Rural Task Force said:
“Fly-tipping and environmental crime is a blight on Kent’s beautiful landscape and we are committed to supporting the Environment Agency in its ongoing efforts to bring those responsible to justice.”
“We do this by making arrests, gathering evidence and carrying out preventative activities including spot checks of vehicles seen in areas where such offences are common.”
“People who thoughtlessly dump large volumes of waste are often linked to other forms of criminal activity and their illegal acts must not be tolerated.”
The Environment Agency said it was continuing to monitor the site for any effect on air or water quality, and would ensure all necessary environmental authorisations were in place while the waste was cleared.
“In 2023/24, we successfully shut down 63 illegal waste sites, bringing the total number in operation to 344 – the lowest total figure on record. Enforcement officers also prevented nearly 34,000 tonnes of waste from being illegally exported by waste criminals.”
“If you have any information that may assist with this investigation, please call our 24-hour hotline on 0800 807060. Or report anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or the Crimestoppers website.”
