Staff at a fast food takeaway have been on litter-picking patrol in Barking town centre clearing up some of the rubbish dropped in the streets.

They volunteered to tidy up the neighbourhood and were even joined by the mayor Donna Lumsden and their boss Jon Betts, who owns the McDonald’s Barking branch franchise.

“My staff gave up their time for the community,” Jon said proudly. “They made sure the area was better and brighter.”

The volunteers collected 12 bags of rubbish from James Street, George Street, London Road and Abbey Park.

The fast food chain has been cleaning up litter for 35 years from any origin, not just their own. Volunteers at branches up and down the country cover 5,000 miles every week on litter patrols.

The company also now separates plastics and cups for recycling and collects used oil from its kitchens to turn into biodiesel to run half its delivery fleet.