A large rat peered out of the gloom as refuse collectors stage a two-week-long strike in East London, and mounds of rubbish continues to build up in Tower Hamlets (September 25).

Piles of commercial waste, including from Whitechapel Market and also in residential streets, were seen along Whitechapel Road and along Brick Lane as the strike enters its second week.

Some of the uncollected refuse is showing signs of putrifying as temperatures in the Capital remain warm, and organic waste decomposes where it is dumped.

Unite the Union members across 23 local authorities rejected a below-inflation pay offer, triggering the walk-outs in the borough, though negotiations elsewhere have resulted in better outcomes.