Fly-tipped asbestos in a country lane popular with ramblers and dog walkers has sparked fury.

Two loads of the toxic material were dumped more than two weeks ago in Burberry Lane, near Leeds, Maidstone.

One heap of rubble and tiling which was left by the side of the road was removed on July 11 but another pile on a pathway nearby is on private land was left in situ. The landowner must now deal with the waste.

The incident sparked fury from a local parish and borough councillor who condemned the “criminals” who dumped it.

Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) and Kent County Council acted only after LDRS got in contact to alert them of the health hazard.

Cllr Gill Fort, who represents Leeds, said: “I am disgusted, just furious. Not only do these criminals dump this material illegally but it is just left there for weeks.

“This should have been acted on as soon as the stuff was suspected to be some form of asbestos. Dozens of dog walkers and walkers use the place all the time, for pity’s sake.”

Vowing to visit the site immediately, she said she will “do what I can” to track down the landowner of the pathway.

She added: “This is a problem that has been getting worse in recent weeks with fridges and other white goods just tipped out onto Burberry Lane.”

A sign warning fly-tippers they face prison was erected on a telegraph pole at the height of the recent dumpings.

Cllr Fort has been calling for greater surveillance, more prosecutions and stiffer penalties for rural waste crime for many years.

She added: “If you get tough with these criminals, they get the message. A spell inside and a massive fine would make a few of them think again.”

An MBC statement said: “Kent County Council contracted MBC to remove the fly-tip, containing asbestos materials, from the roadside on Burberry Lane, Leeds, which MBC can confirm has been cleared today (Tuesday, July 11).

“The white goods are on private land and the disposal is the responsibility of the landowner.”

Mike Sims of the landowners’ body Country Land and Business Association (CLA) said there were 100,000 fly-tipping instances in 2021/22 in the south east alone.

In Folkestone & Hythe, cases rose by 52% (from 1,779 instances to 2,706) while in Maidstone, there was in rise of 16% (from 2,952 instances to 3418) in that time-frame.

Many illegal waste dumpings happen on private land which can cost many thousands of pounds to clean up. One CLA member is so badly affected, it costs £50,000-a-year to clean up.