Persistent fly-tipping has led to the loss of recycling banks from a supermarket car park in Brentford.

Bosses at Morrisons, in Brentford High Street, asked for the containers to be removed by Hounslow Council after growing exasperated at the piles of illegally dumped rubbish they frequently attracted.

The banks, which are well used by people recycling responsibly, are set to go next month, with both Morrisons and the council refusing to give a precise date.

Regular user Lionel Hawes claimed the council should have done more to save the facility by preventing fly-tippers turning the site into an eyesore.

"The council used to send cleaners out when the rubbish built up but it stopped about three or four years ago and when I asked why I was told it was Morrisons' civic responsibility to keep the area tidy," said the 71-year-old actor, of Clifton Road, Brentford.

"I think Morrisons had already done its civic duty by agreeing to have the recycling banks in its car park. The council keeps saying how important recycling is but this is Hounslow's primary recycling point and it's been lost.

"The council should have learnt its lesson after the same thing happened with another recycling point at Homebase in Gunnersbury Corner a few years ago.

"Of course it's the selfish minority of fly-tippers who are ruining this for everyone else but the council must take some responsibility."

Morrisons store manager Wayne Hanlon said the recycling banks were being removed for a variety or reasons, but he refused to explain what those reasons were.

A council spokesman said: "The recycling banks are being removed at the request of Morrisons due to problems with fly tipping. 

"We've offered to work with Morrisons to make it less easy to dump items there. However, the supermarket has asked us to remove the (facilities from the) site altogether."

He added that residents could recycle most items they would normally take to the Morrisons site via the council's home collection service, with electrical goods, clothes and shoes now picked up from some blocks of flats in the borough.

If you would like to see this service introduced where you live, or for general advice on recycling, email recycling@hounslow.gov.uk or call 020 8583 2000.