Four months ago, KentOnline exclusively revealed how a historic Kent woodland had been turned into a wasteland where tonnes of rubbish had been illegally dumped.

The site has since been shut down by the Environment Agency and could now cost millions to clean up. As reporter Ollie Leonard discovered when he visited last week, the stench of decay and neglect is still overwhelming…

As I approached Hoad’s Wood in Ashford, I braced myself to see first-hand the shocking damage caused by the reckless dumping of commercial waste.

I have seen dozens of photographs of the mountains of rubbish, but nothing could quite prepare me for what lies hidden amid the trees.

Drawing nearer to the gate of the four-acre plot, the air seemed to thicken with a pungent scent that intensified with each step.

As I tentatively walked deeper into the site, having to watch my footing on the heaps of litter, the true gravity of the situation hit home.

The stench of rotting eggs filled the atmosphere. I felt like I was being slowly poisoned with each breath.

It was a nauseating reminder of the illegal activity that has plagued this once-serene woodland.

This is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), where it is even illegal to plant a foreign flower. But now it’s lack of protection is all too clear.

A staggering 27,000 tonnes of waste is scattered amongst the trees, with some parts filled with rubbish up to 25ft deep.

From a distance, the heaving mounds look like mud, but when you take a closer look you can see the volume of plastics, toys, electronic devices and food leftovers.

An investigation into the fly-tipping on the ancient woodland is currently being led by the Environment Agency (EA).

Residents nearby first saw evidence of criminality at the site in January 2020, but quick action was taken by Ashford Borough Council (ABC) to put a stop to it.

We now know that a few years later, in July 2023, the illegal tipping ramped up with many villagers spotting large trucks dumping waste on the plot.

Then in January this year, KentOnline exclusively revealed how litter was being piled across four acres in an illegal makeshift tip, which led to the site finally being shut down.

Since then, several national news outlets have covered the story, including Talk TV, which caught a lorry with no number plates on camera approaching the woodland.

On my visit last week, I was joined by a member of the Rescue Hoad’s Wood campaign group, which is demanding immediate action to be taken at the site.

The activist, who wishes to remain anonymous, spoke of the huge impact the illegal tipping has had on the local community.

He attended a meeting on Thursday night with the EA and was informed the waste could cost up to £10 million to clean up.

“It wasn't until January 2024 that it became very apparent that the things going on here were highly illegal,” he said.

“The agencies claim to be underfunded but I know at least 20 people who have been reporting this for some time. It wasn’t until KentOnline reported on this that the EA shut this down.

“The smell does depend on local atmospherics at the time. There are days when there is a light breeze, then there is almost an invisible mist around the site.

“I understand from some residents that there is the smell of rotten eggs in their bedrooms at night.”

The campaign has now received more than 5,000 signatures and has even received support from nature expert Chris Packham, who has called for the immediate clean-up of Hoad’s Wood.

Last week, nature groups including RSPB, Kent Wildlife Trust and Woodland Trust wrote a letter to the environment secretary, Steve Barclay, for a government grant to fund the clean-up operation.

An extract from the letter reads: “It was painfully clear that the EA prioritised ‘gathering evidence’ over and above the protection of a designated SSSI, using Hoad’s Wood, the wildlife therein and the local community as acceptable collateral damage.

“The illegal felling of the trees in preparation for the site in 2020 and the presence of a single digger preparing the site in July 2023, all of which were reported, should have been ample evidence a criminal act had been perpetrated against an SSSI.

“This should have resulted in an enforcement order that came almost four years too late.”

Now, the leader of the Rescue Hoad’s Wood campaign is calling for the mess to be cleaned up before the summer.

He explained: “We feel the authorities let this happen and it could have been avoided.

“This needs to be cleaned up before the summer. We understand this may take time but the activity needs to start immediately.

“What's disturbing is there is a bushcraft business across the road from the site that submitted an odour report. However, they were told the report would not count as there are no residential properties at their site.

“Try running an outdoor business with the stench of rotting eggs around it. It is putting them out of work.”

Hoad’s Wood is home to deer, dormice and other small mammals, as well as a variety of birds, including great tits, chaffinches and dunnocks, and in the summer will welcome nightingales and blackcaps.

Moths and butterflies have been well documented in the wood, including two nationally rare species.

It is also where the body of 33-year-old Sarah Everard, murdered by Met Police officer Wayne Couzens, from Deal, was found in 2021.

She was discovered on a plot of the wood owned by Couzens.

The EA has locked the site’s access gate off Fridd Lane and placed concrete blocks to prevent entry, alongside a warning notice at the entrance.

Anyone entering the land without reasonable excuse or written permission from the EA could be prosecuted.

But a husband and wife pair, who are the largest plot holders in Hoad’s Wood with more than 36 acres, have expressed their dismay at how the various authorities have dealt with the issues.

The couple are neighbours of the area and both wish to remain anonymous.

“We complained countless times to the authorities as we watched lorries for months on end making journies to the site,” they said.

“They needed to stop this from happening sooner.

“I am absolutely disgusted with the response from the authorities. It has only been since the story has been in the press we actually got the response that we needed.”

The pair have owned their plot in Hoad’s Wood since 2002 and have undertaken a lot of work to improve their area.

They added: “We have also noticed the smell when we go down there and it is only going to get worse.

“We have worked very hard over the years to enhance our area of the wood, which was very neglected.

“This woodland means a great deal to us.”

Amid the growing calls for the mess to be cleaned up as soon as possible, a local contractor has now offered their services to the authorities.

In the latest update from the EA, it said: “Fly-tipping spoils the natural environment and we are aware of the impact this careless criminality has on communities and people’s enjoyment of their local environment.

“We are determined to keep one step ahead of the criminals, shut them out of the system and ensure there is no space for waste crime.

“That’s why we are pushing forward with our investigations against those suspected of illegal tipping activities of commercial waste at Hoads Wood - with support from Natural England, Forestry Commission, Kent County Council and Kent Police Rural Task Force.

“If you are suspicious of any waste crime, you can report it to us on our 24/7 incident number on 0800 807060 or anonymously call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”