Residents and councillors are pushing for the cleaning of a railway bridge, citing health and safety hazards.
This orange stuff contains E-coli, and it drips onto the pavement below. Residents find this mix very disgusting when it rains. Drains exist, but they often get blocked.
The bridge sits where three areas meet. Network Rail owns the bridge itself, while Transport for London (TfL) looks after the road below. People use this route to reach shops.
A local councillor, Alessandra Rossetti, is concerned. She has been asking about this since 2023, and she thinks multiple groups have failed to fix it. The bridge is now a risk to health.
Rossetti wants everyone to act together. They should stop the pigeons, fix the leak, and ensure the drains receive proper work. The path must be maintained.
The council asked Network Rail about the orange stuff. They found coliform and E. coli in it, but they don’t know the cause of the color yet. Network Rail called the bacteria common.
A local, Hazel Stokes, walks there often to shop. She said many people use it, and mums, cyclists and others are all affected. She finds all the grime disgusting.
Another resident, Barbara Waller, contacted Network Rail earlier. She called it dangerous for walkers, adding that her daughters wash everything after walking there. It’s awful, she says.
Network Rail is aware of the concerns. They are monitoring the risk level and claim there’s no big safety risk now. But they’re watching the situation and plan to fix the drainage soon.
TfL promised more cleaning because of the problems. Andrew Wiseall works for TfL and said they ensure London roads stay well. They’re working to stop the pigeon problem, with drainage work starting soon. This will improve the cleaning.