Surveillance cameras have been installed by exasperated residents in the hope of catching flytippers outside their homes.
A Twitter page advertising the move says locals are "sick with the sub-standard performance of Merton Council in matters relating to rubbish collection and fly tipping."
Graveney ward locals have been installing GoPro cameras outside their homes to catch flytippers in the act, the group said. The 'action' cameras can cost upwards of £150.
A GoPro camera such as the ones used by residents. Pic: Wikimedia
They say seven cameras have been installed in the area so far, but they hope that more residents will get on board and agree to take part in the scheme.
The group said: "Residents in Graveney Ward are sick of fly tipping and antisocial behavior. We are fighting back by installing cameras to record people littering and fly tipping. We will then be reporting them to the council."
Tensions around flytipping and waste collection in the borough have heightened since the council passed responsibility of waste collection to Veolia in April.
It also comes following an article the Wimbledon Guardian revealing the ward was the worst for flytipping in the borough. In May it was revealed the council had received 380 reports of fly-tipping over the past year, but just four penalty notices were issued to flytippers in the ward.
The @MertonResidents Twitter account said it has put up signs to let people know they are being filmed in Ashbourne Road, Caithness Road and Park Avenue, as per legal requirements. It has also sent out leaflets appealing others to follow suit.
A spokesperson for Merton Council said: "Merton recorded more than 3,000 separate incidents of fly tipping last year and spent £175,000 clearing it up. It is a huge problem we have to tackle with limited resources.
"We understand residents' frustration but the council isn’t dumping this material. It just has the unpleasant and costly task of cleaning it up.
"Residents can help by recording and reporting any incidents. This includes potentially give evidence. A lot of fly-tipped material occurs on private land which we do not have permission to remove without the consent of the owner. "
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