Illegal waste carriers fall foul of joint operation in Gravesham

Operation Nightjar saw officers from Gravesham’s environmental enforcement team join with Kent Police’s Road Safety Unit and the North Kent Police Community Team to carry out spot checks on waste carriers across the borough.

On Thursday 21 May, environmental enforcement officers joined police on a daytime road check in Gravesend town centre.

Among the vehicles stopped was a local skip operator who could not provide waste transfer notes for the waste being carried. Follow-up enquiries found the company owner did not have a waste carrier’s license and they now face prosecution.

 

On Tuesday 26 May, an evening operation resulted in more than a dozen vehicles being stopped.

Three of these were identified as carrying controlled waste illegally and the drivers now face court prosecution.

Two of the vehicles were overweight and one was in such poor condition that it was prohibited from travelling further.

Following the spot checks, Gravesham officers carried out enquiries at local addresses linked to fly tipping. As a result, an offender who was found hiding in an alleyway was identified and faces a £1,000 fine for fly tipping.

Cllr Emma Morley, Gravesham Borough Council’s cabinet member for operational services, said:

“Happily most of the vehicles stopped during Operation Nightjar were fully compliant with the legislation around the carrying of waste and their drivers understood the importance of our work and supported our efforts.

“But the value of such operations was proved by the discovery of a few rogue operators, who will now be facing the courts.

“We have a zero-tolerance approach to illegal waste carriage and fly tipping in Gravesham.

“Our environmental enforcement team will continue to carry out regular operations with the police and partner agencies to tackle this.

“Those taking a gamble on getting away with it won’t know where and won’t know when, but they need to know there’s a strong chance they will be caught and dealt with.”