Three men have been arrested after a beauty spot was turned into a “desolate wasteland” by the illegal dumping of 35,000 tonnes of rubbish.

Hoads Wood in Ashford was first blighted by the mounds in July 2023, after locals noticed trucks driving in and tipping their loads.

The Environment Agency did not put a closure order on the site until the following January, but on Wednesday this week, three arrests were made as part of their investigation.

Two of the men – aged 44 and 62 – are from the Isle of Sheppey, while the third, aged 41, lives near Sittingbourne.

The piles of rubbish in the woodland - which is a site of special scientific interest (SSSI), reached 15ft high in places.

Simon Hawkins, the Environment Agency’s director of operations for East and South East England, said: “The dumping of thousands of tonnes of waste at Hoads Wood in 2023 was a flagrant act of vandalism – with horrendous consequences for the local community and environment.

“The Environment Agency and Kent Police have been working tirelessly to uncover the identity of those responsible and bring them to justice, and to take the fight to organised criminal networks.

“The arrest of three men yesterday is a major step forward for our investigation and should bring some comfort to residents whose lives have been upended by this crime.”

Sergeant Darren Walshaw, of Kent Police’s rural task force, added: “Fly-tipping and environmental crime is a blight on Kent’s beautiful landscape and we are committed to supporting the Environment Agency in its ongoing efforts to bring those responsible to justice.

“We do this by making arrests, gathering evidence and carrying out preventative activities including spot checks of vehicles seen in areas where such offences are common.

“People who thoughtlessly dump large volumes of waste are often linked to other forms of criminal activity and their illegal acts must not be tolerated.”

KentOnline exclusively reported on the illegal tip in January 2024 and visited the site.

Our reporter said the stench of rotting eggs was so strong, it felt as if he was being “slowly poisoned with each breath”.

Residents nearby said the once-thriving spot for wildlife had become a desolate wasteland, and Kent Wildlife Trust called the situation an “environmental tragedy”.

Contractors were finally appointed to clean up the site in November, and this work is ongoing.

The Environment Agency says it will continue to monitor the site for any effect on air or water quality, and will ensure all necessary environmental authorisations are in place while the waste is cleared.

Tim Bamford, regional director of CLA South East, which represents farmers, landowners and rural businesses in Kent and is part of the Save Hoads Wood campaign, said: "We welcome these arrests in connection with one of the worst fly-tipping incidents ever seen in Kent.

"Fly-tipping and the dumping of waste on a mass scale have a huge impact on the environment, farming and our natural landscapes, and the CLA has great sympathy with Hoad’s Wood.

“This precious site needs to be cleaned up as quickly as possible, with those responsible facing the full force of the law."

Investigators are still appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

Please call the Environment Agency’s 24-hour hotline on 0800 807060 or report via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or the Crimestoppers website if you can help.