DUMPED doors, builders’ rubble and fence panels were just some of the items removed from an estate during a clean-up operation.

During the day around eight tonnes of rubbish were removed from the Groves Estate in Penge by Bromley Council and other key members of the Safer Bromley Partnership.

They included the area’s safer neighbourhood team and housing association Affinity Sutton, which helped out by removing two and a half tons of rubbish and washing or painting over five square metres of graffiti.

And the London Probation Service ran a community payback operation where offenders carried out work to help improve the environment.

Public protection and safety portfolio holder Councillor Tim Stevens said: “Clean-ups such as these give a good ‘kick start’ making an area much more pleasant to live in while providing a firm foundation for local businesses and residents to carry on the good work to help keep the area clean in the future.

“Meanwhile, police have the chance to gather intelligence about those who might be held responsible for the crimes such as dumping builders’ rubble on the estate.”

And the ward councillor John Getgood said: “One of the problems is The Groves is partly owned by Affinity Sutton and partly by Bromley Council and it is quite difficult working out who is responsible and what land is owned by who.

“So every now and again we just get down to it and it is always welcome.

“The nicer we make the estates then the more people care about them.”

The clean-up was one of a series taking place around the borough to tackle low level crime such as graffiti, abandoned vehicles and fly tipping.