A councillor has urged for more proactive steps to curb the nuisance of shopping trolleys that are abandoned on the streets of Romford.

Cllr Jane Keane, of St Albans ward, told the Recorder she has reported 49 abandoned trolleys so far this year.

She claimed that trolleys are regularly left on town centre roads and that the Ring Road is often littered with them.

Cllr Keane believes it is a serious problem, saying the trolleys fill up with rubbish and attract vermin.

She said: “Often they are ditched in the (river) Rom or Ravensbourne. They obstruct the highway and blight the urban townscape."

Read More: Strategy is to tackle 'persistent problem' of abandoned trolleys in Romford

The Recorder reported in 2021 that Romford Business Improvement District (BID) and local authority representatives were discussing a new strategy to address the issue.

Councillor Barry Mugglestone, Havering's cabinet member for environment, said that the council continues to work with app Trolleywise and the stores to tackle the problem.

He said: “Fundamentally, we need everyone to play their part to keep our borough clean and tidy for our residents and visitors."

A spokesperson for Sainsburys said: "We have measures in place to help keep our trolleys in our stores where they belong. The store has received no complaints regarding abandoned trolleys in Romford area."

Tesco's press office clarified that they have a coin-operated trolley lock installed to deter people from removing the trolleys in their bigger store in Romford.

The Recorder contacted Asda for comment and they did not respond.

Cllr Keane believes these measures are not enough. She said: “I have asked the relevant cabinet member to consider what can be done."

Her suggestions to help fix the problem include raising fines for companies whose trollies are abandoned and urging the retailers to use their own branded shopping trollies so they can be identified and returned.

Another step, she claimed, could be to raise more awareness among the cleaning staff to use apps like Trolleywise.

She added: “It would also help if the retailers, when purchasing new bulk orders of trollies could ensure their trollies cannot be taken out of their own car parks or off their own premises."