Three people ahve been arrested in connection with the illegal dumping of 35,000 tonnes of waste at Hoad’s Wood.
Heads Wood in Ashford, Kent, is a protected Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This organised criminality which saw the huge amount of waste destroy a large area of woodland, will cost over £15 million to clear. Experts have saids that it has been nothing short of an environmental catastrophe.
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 arrests wouldn’t have been possible without the tireless efforts of social media group @rescuehoadswood, who teamed up with conservation charities like the Kent Wildlife Trust to push for government action. Their work led to a ministerial order for the clean-up— an incredible win for nature!
The groups are now calling for the authorities to commit to restoring the wildlife and ecosystems once the waste is finally cleared.
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.’
