Bins in Wandsworth will not be reinstated unless littering increases, according to comments from by the council's deputy leader.

Councillor Rachael Stokes asked the deputy leader, at full council on Wednesday evening, why bins across the borough were being "removed by stealth".

Jonathan Cook, deputy leader and cabinet member for community services said the tactic was being employed by Wandsworth Council to prevent flytipping.

June 30: 'Disappearing bins' leaving borough plagued with rubbish and flytipping, according to Labour councillors

Wandsworth council has claimed that overflowing bins are a magnet for fly tippers who choose to overload them or dump their rubbish next to them.

These are deemed ineffective and some are removed to see what impact it has on littering.

Around 10 per cent of the borough's bins have been removed.

Cllr Cook said: "If the situation improves or littering levels are unaffected then the change can become permanent.

"If changes do occur then the bin can be reinstated.

"It's a common sense approach from a council that strives to improve efficiently in everything it does."

It currently costs the council about £1,200 a year to maintain each of the borough's bins.

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Cllr Cook said: "They [bins] don't look particularly nice and they cost us a lot of money so if it's possible to run our streets without a bin that's clearly the best outcome."

He also told councillors that more money had been put into the rapid reaction clear-up team, who remove flytips quickly. 

The council has caught and fined 350 flytippers since May 1.