A Strood man has been fined almost £700 for transporting scrap metal without a licence.
In November 2024 officers from the Kent Police Rural Task Force and Medway Council carried out a joint operation targeting illegal waste carriers.
During the operation, David Payne, of Darnley Road, was stopped as metal items could be seen on the back of his vehicle.
Officers spoke to Mr Payne, who said he held a valid Environment Agency upper tier licence, and had applied for a scrap metal collector's licence the day before he was stopped.
However, further checks following the operation confirmed Mr Payne did not hold, and had not applied for, a scrap metal collector’s licence.
A summons was sent by first class post to Mr Payne’s last known address in November 2025.
The case was heard at Medway Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 7 January and was proved in absence, with magistrates fining Mr Payne £693.65.
Help fight against the blight of fly-tipping
Cllr Alex Paterson, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, Highways and Enforcement, said: “I would like to thank our officers and Kent Police for their important work on operations like this. Transporting waste, including scrap metal, without the proper licence is illegal – these licences are there to help fight against the blight of fly-tipping in our communities.
“If you need to have any waste removed, it is really important that you check the person you are employing has the right licences too, as any dumped waste could end up being traced back to you, and you would face the fine.”
All waste must be dealt with by a registered waste carrier, which you can check online. If you do not use a registered carrier, you could also face prosecution under the Environmental Act 1990.
Learn more about Trading Standards and environmental enforcement in Medway.