Environmental officers from Folkestone & Hythe District Council have tracked down two men who dumped household items, including a cooker and a bed, at six different locations, including roadside verges.
Following their investigation, the men appeared before magistrates in Margate on Thursday 11 June 2026, where a 23-year-old admitted six offences of fly-tipping and a 26-year-old admitted two offences. The court was told that the men had been paid to dispose of the waste by householders in the Dover and Deal area who responded to their advertisement on social media. Neither of the men possessed a waste carrier’s licence.
However, the men from Dover were traced when council officers searched the rubbish dumped in the Acrise area and found paperwork enabling them to trace the householders, and subsequently the two fly-tippers. The 23-year-old was sentenced to 100 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £100 in costs, while the 26-year-old was sentenced to 80 hours of unpaid work and also ordered to pay £100 in costs.
The Cabinet member for Regulatory Services stated that the two men believed they had got away with pocketing the payment they received and simply dumping the rubbish collected. They added that fly-tipping blights the district, and where sufficient evidence can be gathered, the council will track down those responsible and put them before a court. Furthermore, they reminded residents that they have a duty of care under the Environmental Protection Act to ensure that any household waste is transferred to an authorised person who holds a waste carrier’s licence.
Householders wanting to dispose of unwanted bulky items can check the council website, and private operators’ licences can be verified on the Environment Agency website.
Cllr Polly Blakemore, Cabinet member for Regulatory Services, said:
“These two men thought they had got away with pocketing the payment they received and simply dumping the rubbish collected.
“Fly-tipping blights our district and where we can gather sufficient evidence, we will track down those responsible and put them before a court.
“Residents should also be aware that they have a duty of care under the Environmental Protection Act to ensure that any household waste is transferred to an authorised person who holds a waste carrier’s licence.”
Householders wanting to dispose of unwanted bulky items can check the council website . Private operators’ licences can be verified on the Environment Agency website.