6ft high piles of rubbish in echoes of the winter of discontent

FESTERING piles of rubbish were lining the streets of the East End today in the second week of a month-long strike by refuse collectors.

- Rachael Burford and John Dunne

Residents, politicians and tourists urged Tower Hamlets council to urgently reach a deal in the pay dispute as bags containing rotting food and discarded nappies lay in mounds up to 6ft-high in some roads. Residents reported rats swarming the rubbish in the tourist hot spot of Shoreditch.

Unite union members walked out on September 18 over pay and conditions.

It was originally scheduled to be a fortnight of industrial action but, when a deal could not be reached, they extended the strike until October 15.

This morning Tower Hamlets town hall put a fresh deal to the union, which will be voted on.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: "I am concerned about the impact this rubbish crisis will be having on residents, tourists and businesses. I urge Tower Hamlets council to work with the union to find an urgent solution." Minister for London Paul Scully said the mess had to be cleaned up as soon as possible. He told the Standard: "The first thing people think about regarding council services is getting their bins emptied. Residents and visitors alike will be appalled and put off by the rubbish piling up on the streets. The unions and councils need to stay in the room together until a fair agreement is sorted.