Two men have been fined after they were caught disposing of scrap metal worth more than £24k without a licence.

They have now been prosecuted by Dover District Council (DDC) and forced to pay nearly £5,000 in court costs.

The unlicensed scrap metal dealers' operation was uncovered on March 22 this year when officers from DDC and Kent Police stopped a truck seen carrying scrap metal.

It was being driven along Foxborough Hill, Eastry, near Sandwich by Michael Danny Smith, while Michael Danny Joe Smith was a passenger.

Michael Danny Smith was served with a notice which required him to produce copies of his waste transfer notes for the disposal of the scrap metal on board the vehicle at the time of being stopped.

When these notes were produced, they identified that the scrap metal had been disposed of at a scrap yard, and between November 3, 2021 and July 6, 2022, a total of £24,710.89 worth of scrap metal had been transferred by the two men to the scrap yard.

Subsequent enquiries revealed that neither individual held a scrap metal dealer’s licence and DDC took the matter to court.

At Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on Monday, Michael Danny Smith, 42, and Michael Danny Joe Smith, 19, of Aylesham Road, Snowdown, near Dover both pleaded guilty by post to separate offences of operating as an unlicensed scrap metal dealer.

Michael Danny Smith was fined £2,500 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £1,000 and costs of £150, making a total of £3,650.

Michael Danny Joe Smith was fined £750 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £300 and costs of £150, making a total of £1,200.

DDC cabinet member for regulatory services, Cllr Martin Bates said: “Scrap metal dealers are required to hold the appropriate licences with the local authority in order to ensure that the collection of scrap metal is regulated.”

Another man also received a bill for over £500 on November 15 after being caught dumping rubbish in Capel Street in Capel-le-Ferne.

On October 1 2020, an officer attended the location following a report of fly-tipping, to find two bags of rubbish had been left by Ben Caplin.

Following the return of written interview questions, a fixed penalty notice for £400 was sent to Caplin, but after no payment was received, the matter was referred for prosecution.

Caplin then failed to attend court so a warrant was issued.

The warrant was carried out and Caplin was bailed to attend the court.

The 33-year-old, of Dover, pleaded guilty to fly-tipping and was then fined £320, with £150 costs, £29 clean-up costs, and a £34 victim surcharge, giving him a total bill of £533.