Huge piles of rubbish have spilled out onto the streets of London's East End as refuse workers and street cleaners enter a second week of strike action over a pay dispute with the council. Rotting rubbish has been building up in Whitechapel, Bethnal Green and Brick Lane after more than 200 workers who are employed by Tower Hamlets Council began strike action last Monday, September 18.

The ongoing strike has left one local mum from Whitechapel fearing that it could become a public health issue. She said: "My child felt sick this morning, it's only been a week but if it continues until the 15th it's going to make us ill. My poor child was holding his nose all the way to school, it's absolutely disgusting."

The impact of the strike hasn't gone unnoticed by celebrities who have gone through the borough over the last week.

On Monday morning (September 25) Lord Alan Sugar posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he was going travelling through Bethnal Green Road and was left 'shocked' at the 'stock pile of rubbish that is all over the pavements'. Lord Sugar said: "It is not days of stuff it looks like weeks. What is going on ???"

A Tower Hamlets Council spokesperson said: "We have been informed by Unite that their members will continue to strike for another two weeks after Sunday, October 1. Naturally we are disappointed as keeping Tower Hamlets’ streets clean and litter free is our priority."

https://www.mylondon.news/news/east-london-news/rotting-rubbish-piles-up-tower-27785210