OVERFLOWING bins have turned a popular open space into an eyesore say angry residents who want the council to sort the problem out.

Wanstead Society member Rita Bridge is so fed up of seeing litter strewn across Christ Church Green, that she contacted the Guardian to try and get something done.

Mrs Bridge, 36, of Dangan Road, said: “I’ve gone on to the council website and sent in a complaint about the issue, but I’m still waiting to hear back.”

She snapped several pictures showing the full bins which she said show just how bad things have got.

Mrs Bridge thinks schoolchildren and weekend visitors are responsible for some of the littering, but she also believes better bins would ease the problem.

She was backed by fellow Wanstead Society member Billie Figg, who said: “The bins need to be bigger.

“They also need lids, because foxes drag the rubbish out.

“If we can’t get the council to pay we might have to think about setting up a fund ourselves to get something done.”

The Society has been campaigning for the introduction of more bins on the Green for some time, and members regularly raises the issue at area one council committee meetings.

Former Wanstead Society chairman Geoff Horsnell, said: “The council say they think there are enough bins on the Green, but at the last meeting we were told they would look into replacing the existing bins with bigger ones with lids.

“If that’s really the case then we’re on the same page.”

A council spokeswoman said: "We’re happy to look at alternative bins when the current ones need to be replaced although we’re limited to the types of bins that can be used as the Green is within a conservation area.

"However, as there would be a cost associated with replacing all the bins, this won’t be done until the current ones need replacing.

"Christchurch Green has a lot of waste bins for the size of the site and we collect rubbish and litter pick at the green six times a week to try to minimise any problems."

"Residents have a responsibility to help the Council keep Redbridge clean and we would ask visitors to the Green to think responsibly and either discard their rubbish in a waste bin or if it is full, to take their litter home."

Click here to follow the Wanstead & Woodford Guardian on Twitter