A SERIAL fly-tipper has been fined £20,000 for dumping mountains of rubbish in country lanes.

Darren Divall, from Bexhill, used a tipper truck to leave piles of junk on land belonging to farmers and strewn across public roads in Kent.

Investigators found there had been a string of similar offences across the north and west of the county around the same time in October last year.

The Argus: Darren Divall, from Bexhill, dumping rubbish in a country lane Darren Divall, from Bexhill, dumping rubbish in a country lane

A tipper truck involved in several of the fly-tips in the village of Cobham was identified and found near to the A2 near Shorne.

Divall was caught on CCTV trying to remove the truck before it was discovered by officers.

The 51-year-old was found working at another site where some of the fly-tipped waste had come from, authorities said.

He was served with a notice from Gravesham Borough Council to give the authority a response to their evidence of fly-tipping, but refused.

The Argus: Piles of rubbish dumped by Darren Divall, from Bexhill Piles of rubbish dumped by Darren Divall, from Bexhill

Divall, of Bexhill, was fined £20,000, ordered to pay costs of £1,023.74, legal fees of £150 and a victim surcharge £190 at Sevenoaks Magistrates Court.

Gravesham Borough Council described the rubbish dumps as "large scale fly tipping".

Councillor Shane Mochrie-Cox, cabinet member for community and leisure, said: "We will not tolerate fly-tipping and council officers in partnership with other agencies will continue to investigate offences related to environmental crimes in Gravesham.

"This is the second huge fine that has come as a result with regards to this massive fly tip in Cobham and Shorne and I am pleased to see that substantial fines like this are being given by the courts.

The Argus: Darren Divall, from Bexhill, fined £20,000 for dumping rubbish in country lanesDarren Divall, from Bexhill, fined £20,000 for dumping rubbish in country lanes

"I would like to highlight that we will enforce on public and private land and will seek full costs from the courts for the victims of these crimes to show our support for those affected."

Divall’s conviction came as another fly-tipper, Phillip Rumsey, from Minster-on-Sea, Kent, was also fined £20,000 by Medway Magistrates two weeks earlier.