Teddington residents have expressed disgust at rubbish left on the High Street as bin bags left out at night are split open by animals and the contents spill over the pavement and road.

Ian Llewelyn, who cycles through the road each morning, said he complained to the council in October, but claimed “despite efforts to identify the offenders, this dumping continues to blight the High Street.”

Diljit Kapoor, who runs Quality Grocerers Food and Wine, said there was rubbish on the street every day when he opens the shop.

He added: “The cleaner is very fed up; he tells me every day.”

Your Local Guardian:

Emma Filson, practice manager of Vet4Life on the High Street, explained that food on the floor outside the surgery can be very dangerous and can occasionally mean operations have to be delayed.

She said that when dogs come in for early morning operations they have generally not eaten, so they are hungry and try to eat the food from the ground, which can lead to the postponement of surgery on safety grounds.

A Richmond Council spokesman said the issue was an ongoing concern but the council was working with contractors to overcome it.

She said: "However, we must request that residents stop putting their domestic waste and rubbish bags into or nearby the public litterbins.”