Drones finding fly-tipped waste 'in minutes'

A Kent council says drones are helping officers locate fly-tipped waste "in minutes".

The job could otherwise take hours, especially in rural areas where waste is often spread over large distances, Maidstone Borough Council says.

The drones are equipped with thermal imaging and can detect burning waste "almost instantly", a council spokesperson says.

Between April and September, 1,687 fly-tips were reported to the council but due to faster detection, 1,104 of them were cleared within four days, they said.

Clive English, cabinet member for environmental services and enforcement, said: "Up and down the country we are seeing the devastating impact of fly-tipping, with industrial-scale waste dumping on an organised crime level causing misery to communities, polluting watercourses and destroying wildlife habitats."

Mr English said: "I urge anyone having waste removed from their homes to ensure the people collecting it have a waste carrier's licence."

He emphasised that if waste was found dumped it would be traced back and the home owner would be liable for a fine or prosecution.

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