Published: Wednesday, 1st April 2026
A man has been ordered to pay more than £1,300, after being found illegally transporting scrap metal during a joint operation by Medway Council and Kent Police.
Billy-Joe Crittenden, 36, of Wayfield Road, Chatham, appeared before Medway Magistrates’ Court on 26 February, and pleaded guilty to three offences: failure to produce authority to transport waste, collecting scrap metal without registering, and failing to provide waste documents.
Magistrates heard how Crittenden was stopped by patrols on Thursday 19 September 2024, when Medway Council officers were working with the Kent Police Rural Team, targeting illegal waste carriers.
His white transit van was found to be carrying a quantity of scrap metal, and he was unable to produce the required documentation or pay subsequent fixed penalty notices.
Further investigation found Crittenden did not hold a valid upper tier waste carrier’s licence or scrap metal licence to legally operate as a scrap metal collector.
He was fined £600, and ordered to pay a further £240 Victim Surcharge, £79.96 in compensation and £405.15 costs, totalling £1,325.11.
Learn more about Trading Standards and environmental enforcement in Medway.