Hoad’s Wood waste-dumping: three arrested

‘The Environment Agency and Kent Police have been working tirelessly to uncover the identity of those responsible’

The Environment Agency last week released the following statement in relation to Hoad’s Wood, Bethersden, the site blighted by some 30,000 tonnes of illegally dumped landfill.:

“Three men were arrested yesterday (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.

“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.

“Two of the individuals – 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.

“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.

“We subsequently secured a court order, banning unauthorised access to the woodland and to successfully stop more waste 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.”

• To learn more about Hoad’s Wood, click here