A man who has been cleaning up the River Cray has shared photos which highlight the enormous scale of fly-tipping in the river.

David Fisher, who has lived in Crayford for 44 years, has been picking up litter in and alongside the banks of the river with volunteer group Thames 21.

After sharing photos from the last 18 months of collecting, Mr Fisher said he believes the high level of fly-tipping is from Crayford residents as opposed to those from outside the area.

He also encouraged people to take action against littering if they see it in the area.

Speaking to News Shopper, he added: "It's our environment; it's our community.

"Think: it's our children and their children that will reap the consequences of these actions.

"People should report it and encourage their families to be more proactive in protecting our environment."

A spokeswoman from Bexley Council said: "Our thanks go to Mr Fisher for his great work at Crayford riverside. This kind of community spirit is what makes our borough so great.

"We have more than 200 volunteer litter-pickers working in every ward in the borough. They include youth, community and church groups, as well as many individuals who work on the own.

"The council provides them with equipment and support and they do a fantastic job. Examples like this where the community and the council are working in partnership are key to making Bexley an even better place to live, work and visit.

"In common with local authorities across the country fly-tipping continues to be a serious problem.

"It is a criminal offence to leave rubbish or unwanted items out on the public highway and an instant fine of £400 can be issued to those who do.

"The borough spends nearly £3 million a year on street cleaning and we are constantly looking for ways to tackle the increasing amount of litter people dispose of thoughtlessly.

"In the last 12 months we have issued 60 fixed penalty notices for fly tipping, 27 cases are being prepared for prosecution for non-payment of fines and we have seized one transit van suspected of being involved in a major fly tipping incident."