Another sofa was dumped in Teddington this week, prompting concerns about fly-tipping in the town.

The cream-coloured sofa was left on Waldegrave Road and spotted by the Twitter account @DeerRichmond, a local resident who tweets about issues in the borough.

Last month an entire red sofa set was found dumped in Bushy Park, sparking outrage.

@DeerRichmond also revealed that another sofa had been dumped on Queen's Road in Twickenham, and also found a heap of litter including chairs around a lamppost.

"The fly-tipping is a terrible eye-sore and overflowing bins really do start to smell quite bad," they told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"Given Richmond's green borough credentials, the problem is really quite bad.

"Over the past year, I have seen a significant increase in both fly-tipping and in littering.

"It is not uncommon for me to raise several fly-tipping reports to Richmond Council in a week."

The Twitter user added: "I think it is driven by a combination of restrictions on use of community recycling (i.e. having to book an appointment at the local tip), high street flats and shops not having adequate bin facilities, and a lack of enforcement.

"There are a lot of CCTV cameras in the area, so surely Richmond Council should be able to find the perpetrators and give them a significant fine.

"I also believe that more money needs to be put in to general street cleaning around the borough and a lot more bins installed as these are often overflowing."

In June this year, Richmond borough's main recycling centre Townmead Road was closed due to damage from a massive fire. It re-opened a month later in July.

A Richmond Council spokesperson said: "Fly-tipping is a serious criminal offence and, when caught, offenders can face large fines or imprisonment.

"Officers patrol the borough regularly and residents are encouraged to always report fly-tipping either online or by calling the Council's main switchboard (020 8891 1411).

"It then investigates the report and clears the fly-tip within five working days. In this particular case, Richmond Council's street cleansing provider has been contacted to clear the fly-tip as soon as possible."

They added: "There is no need for people in our borough to fly-tip.

"If people cannot dispose of items in their household waste and recycling collection, they can take items to Townmead Road Household Waste and Recycling Centre, they can book a bulky waste collection, or they can upcycle or recycle items through one of many local schemes."

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