EALING’S volunteer litter squad, LAGER Can, is celebrating its biggest ever rubbish haul after a huge operation to clear 11 tonnes of fly-tipped waste in North Acton.
The team cleared piles of historic refuse from alleyways off Canada Crescent. They found builders' rubbish, planks, doors, tables, mattresses, televisions - even a giant teddy bear.
Much of the fly-tipping was on a plot of waste ground between Canada Crescent and the A40.
Working with colleagues from humanitarian group Green S Welfare, 10 LAGER Canners spent more than three hours hauling the waste 40 metres to the road, where it was stacked for collection by a fleet of council lorries.
LAGER Can's Cathy Swift said: "I've never seen this much fly-tipping in one area. I was appalled, but we love a challenge.
“The most rubbish we’ve collected in a single visit to any other site was about 300 sacks. This was the equivalent of 1,400 sacks. But, incredibly, there's even more to collect."
An 11-strong crew from Ealing Council's waste contractor Greener Ealing filled eight cage trucks and a bin lorry.
Cathy added: " It was a wonderful example of Ealing Council and community groups working together to solve a seemingly intractable problem."
The North Acton clean-up came as Ealing Council announced a new crackdown on fly-tipping, using CCTV cameras.
After growing rapidly during the first COVID lockdown, LAGER Can has 2,000 members.
In 2021, volunteers cleared 270 tonnes of rubbish from streets and open spaces across Ealing borough.
The group's efforts were recognised with a prestigious Queen's Award for Voluntary Service.
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