Residents have called for council intervention after Teddington Lock suffered heavy litter following the two-day heatwave this week.

With temperatures reaching as high as 38 degrees in the area over Monday and Tuesday, the lock has been a popular location for locals to come and soak up the scorching heat.

However, it seems some frequenting the lock have been unable to disperse of their rubbish appropriately leaving multiple bin bags scattered across pathways.

One local commented: "Richmond council, please can you urgently address the issue of waste collection at Teddington Lock, bins are overflowing with rubbish and dog poo bags with kids playing close by, perhaps you can install more dog waste bins?"

As well as litter culprits, river dangers have also been highlighted this week at Teddington Lock following the tragic death of a 14-year-old boy on Monday, who had jumped into the Thames in Hampton.

Cllr Gareth Roberts, Leader of Richmond Council said: "We are incredibly saddened to hear about the tragic drowning of a young boy in the Thames in Hampton yesterday (Monday 18th July). Our thoughts are with his parents, family and friends."

Commenting on river dangers Cllr Roberts added: "For many years, this Council, along with our neighbouring local authorities and partners including the RNLI, Port of London Authority, Environment Agency and Met Police have been warning residents of the dangers of swimming in the Thames.

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"Despite these stark warnings of the dangers, swimming in dangerous parts of the river has remained a problem in Richmond upon Thames, particularly at Teddington Lock. Here we have put in place mitigations, including Heras fencing and cactus spikes, to deter people from jumping into the river off the bridge.

"Despite our efforts, these are being removed and ripped off to allow access to the parapets. Unfortunately, it is usually young people and children who are gathering, jumping and swimming in these areas."

He continues: "It is heart-breaking that we have reached the point where a young boy has lost his life and a family have lost their son. If there is one thing to take from this tragedy, I hope it is that people will finally realise the true dangers of this river and do what they can to make sure this never happens again."

Teddington RNLI have released a video highlighting the dangers of jumping from Teddington Lock into the Thames.

The Environment Agency also has guidance for staying safe around the River Thames.