Historic Kent woodland cleared of 40,000 tonnes of illegal waste

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 9 Oct, 02:13 · Archive

A 15-month operation has removed nearly 40,000 tonnes of illegally dumped household and construction waste from Hoad's Wood, an ancient woodland near Ashford designated as a site of special scientific interest.

A 15-month operation has removed nearly 40,000 tonnes of illegal waste from Hoad's Wood, an ancient woodland near Ashford in Kent, bringing to an end a criminal dumping operation that threatened the site's rare species and ecosystems.

The clean-up project, which began in June 2025 and cost around £15.5 million, required approximately 2,500 lorry-loads to remove household and construction waste. Acumen Waste Services Ltd carried out the work alongside more than 50 specialist personnel in an Environment Agency-led operation. The woodland, designated as a site of special scientific interest with protected status, had waste piled up to 15 feet high.

Organised criminals began targeting the woodland in 2023, dumping waste at rates of up to 20 to 30 trucks a day from July 2023, with earlier illegal activity reported in 2020. The Environment Agency launched a criminal investigation in 2023, working with the Joint Unit for Waste Crime and Kent Police. Three men were arrested in connection with the case. Matthew Higginson, the Environment Agency's area environmental manager, described Hoad's Wood as "arguably the worst waste dump I've seen".

The site will remain closed to the public while nature is given time to recover. The Environment Agency is asking anyone with information to contact its 24-hour hotline on 0800 807060 or report anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

How it is being reported

• Illegal waste dump in ancient Kent woodland fully cleared after15-month operationA 15-month clean-up operation has removed close to 40,000 tonnes of illegally dumped rubbish from an ancient woodland in Kent. The Environment Agency confirmed it removed the waste from Hoad's Wood, an ancient woodland near Ashford. The effort required about 2,500 lorry-loads to haul away household and construction waste from the beauty spot, with the total bill expected to reach around £15.5million. Acumen Waste Services Ltd carried out the work alongside more than 50 specialist personnel as part of the agency-led project, which began in June 2025. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say The…GB News · 9 Oct, 02:03
• Historic woods FINALLY cleared of 40,000 tonnes of illegal rubbish after 15-month operation costing £16millionIt took 2,500 lorry-loads to clear the household and construction waste at the beauty spot at Hoad's Wood in Ashford.Daily Mail · 9 Oct, 00:01

In this story: Hoad's Wood · Ashford · Kent · Environment Agency · Kent Police · Joint Unit for Waste Crime · Acumen Waste Services Ltd

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem