The community clean-up took place earlier this week and concentrated on the flower beds and bushes adjacent to the B&Q superstore in Smuggler's Way.

Council staff and contractors were also on hand to help with the clean up and to arrange for the proper disposal of the 37 binliners of rubbish and litter that was picked up.

As well as general litter the volunteers also collected six broken bike locks, five broomsticks two pairs of shoes and a car's broken bumper.

The clean-up was the brainchild of local business chief Daniel Newton from Delphis Eco, a Battersea based company that manufactures environmentally-friendly commercial cleaning products.

He recruited around 30 volunteers to take part and even kitted them out in eye-catching T-shirts so that passers-by would appreciate what they were doing and why.

Mr Newton said: "We organised this day because we believe that as a business we have a duty of care to our local community and The Capital Clean Up provided the perfect opportunity for local businesses to come together to do collective good for the community. We were delighted to work with the Mayor of London, Wandsworth Council and other local enterprises, notably McDonalds, B&Q, Virgin Active, Holiday Inn Express, Edible Food Design and Oasis
Wandsworth.
"In total we had 30 volunteers which was a truly fantastic turnout with all participants fully committed to the cause. Such was the success of the event that many of the people who took part have already expressed an interest in participating in our community projects in the future.

"We really hope to create a legacy that aims to embed tidiness and an awareness of the consequences of people's actions into everyday life. Let's Keep Britain Tidy."

The council's environment spokesman Cllr Jonathan Cook added: "This was a sterling effort by all those involved. They have every right to be very proud of their work in smartening up this corner of the borough. It is always very heartening when the community comes together like this.

"We will certainly support the efforts of any other groups of volunteers who want to improve their local neighbourhoods in this kind of way."

The flowerbeds and bushes cleaned in this exercise are privately-owned and would therefore not be routinely cleaned as part of the council's regular highways and street cleaning programme.

People can find out more about the work the council is doing to keep Wandsworth clean and what local residents and businesses can do to help by going to Keep Wandsworth Clean .