As you can see in this video, Warren Farm was illegally smothered with waste. The council had to clear more than 160 tonnes of dumped rubbish. Officers are now identifying the people responsible for dumping it, and also tracing the residents whose waste it was originally.

If it is found someone has allowed their waste to be cleared illegally they could be hit with a heavy fine.

The Waste Regulations 2005 give householders a legal responsibility to make sure their waste is disposed of properly. If illegally dumped waste is traced back to a householder’s property, they could be fined thousands of pounds.

This means that people carrying out household clearances or DIY projects must either: Use one of the council’s services; use a skip company approved by the council; or hire a reputable waste clearance firm registered with the Environment Agency. Residents can easily check if a waste clearance firm is registered by calling 08708 506 506 or by using an online register.

The council has already established that the waste dumped at Warren Farm, in Southall, came from some addresses in the borough – and also from households in neighbouring boroughs. The council is now working with the Environment Agency and other west London councils to identify those responsible.

If you pay someone to take away your waste who is not licenced, there is a chance they could be taking your waste simply to fly-tip it somewhere illegally – often on our green spaces and in our rivers. Rubbish can be traced back to its origin and what can seem like a cheap deal at the time could ultimately end up costing you thousands of pounds in fines.

There are a number of ways that local people dispose of their waste legally. They can recycle separated household waste for free at one of the borough’s re-use and recycling centres. They can also dispose of mixed DIY waste at Greenford Re-use and Recycling Centre. This service is chargeable and costs £23 for every 100kg of waste.

Ealing Council also offers a bulky waste collection service. The council will collect up to eight items that are too big for the normal household collection service for just £40. Residents can share bulky collections with friends and neighbours, but the items must all be collected from one location.

In addition, residents can use a council-authorised skip company to dispose of large amounts of household waste. You can view a list of all the authorised skip companies.

You can view more information on recycling and disposal services online.