The Tooting Trashcatchers’ Carnival took place on Sunday with a number of local community groups and schools taking part.

The procession started on Mandrake Road, then proceeded along Upper Tooting Road before finishing with a picnic in Fishponds Playing Field.

The theme of the carnival was creating beauty from rubbish, and to use recycling as a metaphor to build a vision of a low energy future for Tooting.

Lucy Neal, organiser, said: "It's very creative. It's very inspiring when you see people working together.

"We wanted it to be a celebratory occasion. The shops have been incredibly generous, donating all the materials.

"I've been really excited about it but of course I'm now totally shattered."

The carnival initially hit a stumbling block when it was unclear whether Transport for London would allow the use of Upper Tooting Road for the Carnival.

However, permission was granted after pressure from councillor Edward Lister, Tooting MP Sadiq Khan and London Assembly member Richard Tracey.

Transition Town Tooting organised the event in conjunction with Project Phakama and Emergency Exit.

Local people were encouraged to visit the Carnival Factory and make their own costumes from the rubbish they had collected.

The whole carnival was made from clean trash, so people brought along plastic bags, plastic bottle tops and containers, coloured fabrics, jewellery, cardboard packaging and shiny silver foil.

The procession included giant characters, animals and even a replica of the Tooting lido.

Tooting MP Sadiq Khan said: "The Carnival surpassed all expectations. The response from the waving and smiling passersby on the pavement was very encouraging.

"What Transition Town Tooting have managed to pull off here is amazing.

"Over the last 9 months they have brought together our schools, community groups, business and wider community in an awe inspiring way. I really hope this becomes an annual event."

Mr Hopkins was the winner of the 2009 Observer Ethical Award for the Grassroots Campaigner category and is the author of 'The Transition Handbook: from oil dependence to local resilience' which was voted one of most popular books taken on holiday by MPs.

For more details on the work of Transition Town Tooting visit transitiontowntooting.org and to read all the latest from Rob Hopkins blog visit transitionculture.org.