Merton Council set up a make-shift living room in Mitcham Fair Green last week, to raise awareness of the negative impact of littering and fly-tipping.

It was set up by the waste enforcement team, who furnished it with items from their bulky waste collection service.

The room was then sprawled with rubbish gathered from recent fly-tipping incidents-with the council seeking to highlight how the practice tarnishes the image of the borough.

Cabinet member for environmental cleanliness Councillor Judy Saunders said: “We are sending out a clear message to people who fly-tip and  drop litter in Merton- you would not do this in your home, so do not do this in our borough or we will take tough action.

“Fly-tipping is a criminal offence and we will prosecute anyone we find doing it in Merton.”

A recent independent survey found 72 per cent of residents would describe Merton streets as clean, but the council is fighting an ongoing battle against fly-tipping.

The room was based in Mitcham Fair Green on Thursday, August 21.

Merton Council has made it easier to report incidents through the free Love Clean Streets smart-phone app.

To download it click here.