Work to shift thousands of tonnes of rubbish from the Waste4Fuel site has started this week.

The mountain of waste has been kept near houses on Cornwall Drive, St Paul's Cray.

Waste management contractor Veolia shifted 18,000 tonnes of the 27,000 tonne pile in November last year but then contaminated material was found in March and the work stopped.

Now, money has been given by the government to help the council tackle the rubbish.

Leader of the council, Cllr Colin Smith said: “Confirmation that the additional funding has been secured and that we are now, at long last, within touching distance of seeing this land cleared is fantastic news for local people, to whom I would like to pay tribute for their understanding, staunch support and enduring patience throughout this extended ordeal.”

Julie Foley, area manager for the Environment Agency, said: “We understand how frustrating the situation has been for residents and thank them for their patience.

"We will do everything we can to support London Borough of Bromley and Veolia during the site clearance, helping to ensure there is no impact on the environment and local people.”