Pictured: vast piles of 'stinking' rubbish left by Brixton Splash revellers

Organisers accused of not acting fast enough to clean up revellers' waste
Bins in St Matthews churchyard were overflowing with food and drink rubbish from Brixton Splash this morning
Laura Proto3 August 2015

These pictures reveal the "disgusting" mess left by revellers after the Brixton Splash festival.

Bins were left overflowing and the grounds and steps of St Matthews Church were left strewn with huge piles of “smelly” waste.

Business owners and nearby workers said today's mess had detracted from the otherwise successful event which celebrated international cuisine and music.

More than 12 hours after the end of the festival, contractors were working to clear up the sea of smelly rubbish left behind by the tens of thousands of festival-goers.

At lunchtime today only two street cleaners could be seen working to clear up the mess, hours after the festival ended.

Alex Mccue, concierge at The Brix at St Matthews, said: “It is a mess. I had to get our cleaner to clean up the front here - it was smelling.

“I just thought they [Brixon Splash] could have done something better like have more bins. It is disgusting. I was here yesterday but you don’t realise it until it is the next day – that is when you realise the mess that everyone made.

“It finished at about 8pm or 9pm but they should have people there from the night to start cleaning up straight away.

“The atmosphere yesterday was quite good, I don’t think there was violence at all. Everyone seemed happy. But the mess spoils it. It is disgusting now.”

Barry Klieff, from Martin Barry Partnership estate agents, said while he thought the event was good for the area and it went well, he was disappointed the mess was not cleaned up sooner.

Others claimed the mess was not cleaned sooner because of where the festival was held.

A shop worker, who did not want to be named, said: “If it was anywhere else, it would be cleaned up.

“I think because it is Brixton, it is just left. At the carnival [Notting Hill], they started cleaning up as soon as people left.”

A former City worker said he found it surprising the clean-up operation did not begin straight away like in other parts of London.

He said: “Even when the weather was bad, they always started [elsewhere]. It seems to be the rich areas that get the best service. “

The steps of St Matthews Church were littered with empty food containers the morning after Brixton Splash

Lambeth Council said this morning the organisers of Brixton Splash contracted Veolia to provide a clear up operation separate to usual street cleaning.

Councillor Jane Edbrooke, cabinet member for neighbourhoods said there was a full dedicated Brixton Splash street cleaning crew in place all day yesterday “over and above” the regular provision, with cleaning continuing “all night” and continuing until 3pm today.

The stench of the rubbish left behind "spoilt" the positives of Brixton Splash

A council spokesman added: “Street cleaning teams were delayed getting on site yesterday evening as a result [of overrunning], but the vast majority of the clean-up has already been carried out, with the remainder set to be completed by lunchtime today.

The organisers of Brixton Splash have been contacted for comment.

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