A major supplier to Kent's rail industry that has been flooded several times is just one bout of heavy rainfall away from permanent closure, says its boss.

For more than five years, fridges, tyres and other large items dumped in roadside ditches near the River Darent has led to flooding that has disrupted work on the factory floors of Dartford Composites.

The specialist fibreglass manufacturer has been trading for more than three decades at its Ness Road premises, outside Darent Industrial Park, near Erith.

In that time it has built up an enviable order book which owner Mark Silvester says can "see it through any recession" with repeat clients for repair and refurbishment jobs including Southeastern and Transport for London.

But the firm says large contracts – including one worth up to £1.2 million – are now at risk due to recent floods caused by drainage issues and the fly-tipping.

Production had to be temporarily suspended last week after its 12-strong workforce arrived to find the majority of the 9,000 sq ft factory surrounded by water and its compressors flooded.

Mr Silvester, who runs the firm with wife Ruth, says it is happening more regularly and unless the council steps in he will have to cease trading.

The managing director said: "We've had a long-term flooding issue here caused by the ditches, drains and the fly-tipping.

"The situation here now is we are flooding almost on an annual basis. We can no longer obtain flood cover. We have no insurance cover against it whatsoever – either the building or the business.

"We're early in the year for floods. November is the start of the flooding season and we almost breached our flood defences fully last week."

He adds if that were to happen it "will totally destroy us".

On Thursday, the firm's flood defences came "within millimetres" of a breach which it says will cause "catastrophic damage".

Toilets are unable to flush and conditions were becoming unsanitary for staff, with water levels rising below desks.

And to add to their woes the main route for the surface water to be removed is blocked.

The water from the River Darent side uses drainage culverts to cross and eventually discharge into the Thames.

But the tunnel that takes water under Burnett Road collapsed some years ago and is causing flooding to reoccur on Ness road, he says.

He added: "This water level has been like this for the last 10 days. We can't get rid of it and the council won't doing anything to help us.

"My neighbour is running a pump straight over into the River Darent with the permission of the Environment Agency.

"We're pumping straight down into the fields to the rear of us with the permission of the landowner.

"But the water needs to go beyond that. It needs to be pumped further from there onto the next set of fields and the ditch system that runs it out to the Thames."

Common law imposes a duty on the owner of land adjoining a highway to maintain ditches that provide natural drainage for both the land and highway.

In the majority of cases the responsibility for ditch maintenance rests with the adjacent landowner.

Bexley council says the responsibility of the drainage network for the area is with the landowner – which KentOnline understands to be Berkeley Homes.

"We do not own any land in the area and the roads leading directly to the estate are not adopted by the highway authority," a council spokesman said

"Our officers, including our flood risk manager, have visited the estate on numerous occasions and attended the site following the reports of flooding."

With the permission of the Environment Agency Mr Silvester has brought in a pump to clean up the premises.

But he says the assistance of the council has been "non-existent", adding: "The nearest we got to assistance from the council was the 'flood risk manager' refused to allow us to set up to pump across the road due to 'health and safety'.

"All we were actually asking for was assistance to ensure it was set up properly in a safe manner."

Beyond removing the flood water and fixing the culvert, he says in the long term a "fully-funded plan" needs to be drawn up to deter the fly-tipping and improve what he describes as an "eyesore area".

And he is not the only business calling for action, with another claiming its premises was nearly destroyed due to fires caused by flammable fly-tipped materials.

Earlier this year, firefighters spent nearly seven hours battling a huge blaze which engulfed five hectares of marshland next to the River Darent.

Two commercial warehouses were destroyed and crews rescued 15 people during the blaze on July 19 – the hottest day of the year.

Mr Silvester said: "The landowners have no incentive to clear it and the local authorities won't do anything.

"The fly-tipping here is bad but it's getting bad everywhere. The local authorities really need to get control of that."

A spokesman for Bexley Council said: "We are aware of the flooding difficulties and fly-tipping in the Darent Industrial Estate and the roads leading to it, and we have organised and been involved in many meetings and actions over the past 10 years with representatives from the businesses, landowners, emergency services and the Environment Agency.

"We have also been in direct correspondence with representatives from Dartford Composites in recent years.

"We have supported the area by undertaking some additional clearance of fly-tipping to ease the flow of water along the ditches, and we are working with various representatives and owners to look at options for reducing this type of activity.

"We are also working with the Environment Agency to understand where efforts need to be focussed, and to identify the particular landowner(s) to press for action.”

A spokesperson for Berkeley Homes said: “Berkeley is aware that areas of marsh land within the vicinity of Wallhouse Road often flood during winter months and periods of heavy rainfall, as was the case in 2021.

"In that instance, it was found that the flooding was not on Berkeley land, nor was it a result of any culverts or drainage ditches being blocked on Berkeley land.

"Given the recent report of flooding and the suggested collapse of a culvert, Berkeley will investigate the matter and seek to remedy the issue should this be found to be on Berkeley land.”