Recycling sites across Bexley have been "forced" to close after they were exposed to severe contamination.

Bexley Council has said non-recyclable waste has been dumped in recycling bins, which are emptied by hand, an extra cost to the £10,000 it costs a year to regularly empty.

A spokeswoman for the council said: "The borough’s waste and recycling team were finding large amounts of fly-tipping thoughtlessly dumped at these sites, as well as consistently finding the banks full of non-recyclable waste such as raw meat and household waste, rather than plastics and cartons."

Because of the financial implications of the fly-tippers, recycle bins have been removed by the council.

The council has now removed plastic and carton recycling points from:

- Albert Road Car Park, Nuxley Road, Belvedere

- Avenue Road Car Park, Avenue Road, Bexleyheath

- Superbowl Car Park, Albion Road, Bexleyheath

- Sainsbury’s, Stadium Way, Crayford

- Thames Road RRC, Thames Road, Crayford

- Badlow Close, Larner Road, Erith

- Erith Sports Centre, Avenue Road, Erith

- Frobisher Road, Erith

- Morrisons, James Watt Way, Erith

- Baugh Road, Sidcup

- Footscray RRC, Maidstone Road, Sidcup

- Morrison’s, Elm Road, Sidcup

- Chandlers Drive, Erith

- Lime Row, Off Yarnton Way, Thamesmead

- Morrison’s, Springfield Road, Welling

- Nag’s Head Car Park, Springfield Road, Welling

- Sherwood Park Avenue, Sidcup,

- Westwood Lane Car Park, Westwood Lane, Welling

Cabinet member for community safety, environment and leisure, Councillor Peter Craske said: “We pride ourselves on being the top London borough for recycling waste and we urge all our residents to recycle their waste responsibly.

"Unfortunately, because of the minority spoiling these sites, it is no longer cost-effective to keep them running for the little recyclable plastics and cartons they produce. We hope that residents will continue to recycle as much as they can through their normal weekly collections.”

Household plastic packaging and beverage cartons can continue to be recycled through the kerbside recycling collection in the maroon box for houses, or silver bins for flats.