BARNET’s streets are littered with 1,600 tonnes of fly tipped waste every year.

This amount of waste is the equivalent to 200 double decker buses in weight.

Each year, the council spends nearly £4m to keep the borough’s streets clean, however, a new campaign is hoping to clean up Barnet.

Last week, the council collected almost 10 tonnes of fly tipped materials such as old mattresses, broken TV and old and broken pieces of furniture.

Barnet Council is launching a six-month trial with its #KeepBarnetClean campaign.

A team of enforcement officers will patrol well known litter hotspots in the borough and investigate fly tipping incidents from Monday July 25.

Councillor Dean Cohen, Chairman of Barnet’s environment committee, said: “As our pictures demonstrate, in the course of just one day we have collected three truck-loads of fly tipped materials.

“Our new campaign says to anyone who lives in, works in, or visits Barnet that we take pride in our streets and that littering and fly tipping is completely unacceptable.”

This campaign follows the recent news that the borough’s street cleaning budget could face up to £750,000 cuts, when a ‘street cleansing framework’ was discussed Barnet councillors.

The online report said they recognise that high quality cleansing services play a big role in ensuring Barnet is a “desirable, prosperous and family friendly borough”.

Labour councillors moved an additional recommendation, to say the frequency of street cleaning in residential streets should be maintained and enhanced in certain areas.

However, the proposal was rejected.

The results of a perceptions survey, showed that 85 per cent of people felt the appearance of their local environment was important to them.

People who are caught littering will be fined with a £80 fixed penalty notice, and people caught fly tipping will be prosecuted.

The council’s problem page on their website can be used to report litter and fly tipping hotspots throughout the borough.

To register for a litter pick, you can email parks@barnet.gov.uk or to report litter, visit the website at

www.barnet.gov.uk/keepbarnetclean

What do you think of the scheme, will it help? Comment below or email us at bethan.marsh@london.newsquest.co.uk