WAR has been declared on takeaways by the council.

The eyes of the world will be on Waltham Forest when the 2012 Olympic Games comes to town and council leader Cllr Clyde Loakes said he wants the borough to be neat and tidy and not full of takeaway litter.

He said: "As we move towards 2012, do we want the world to think Waltham Forest is just full of chicken boxes?"

Cllr Loakes added that the council's war on what he calls the blight of the chicken shop was the first part of a strategy to improve the centre's of borough's main areas.

He said that the authority was getting tough on fast food shops after its sustainable community consultation, conducted by Ipsos Mori, revealed residents were unhappy about the number of takeaways and the litter they produce.

"Waltham Forest is a borough that should be synonymous with change, progress, achievement - not grease, chicken and litter.

"They are sick of seeing discarded chicken boxes and bones in the street and sick of Waltham Forest being known for junk food and not culture, education and Olympics," Cllr Loakes added.

"In our borough there is a cafe or takeaway for every 370 residents and a lot of them are selling junk. Enough is definitely enough.

"We're not just picking on chicken shops, but all junk food outlets."

The council says trading standards officers will carry out more spot checks, anti-social behaviour teams will clamp down on disorder hotspots, and licensing officers will make sure businesses do not breach licensing conditions.

The authority will also look at what powers it has under planning law to limit the number of takeaways in a particular area.

Earlier this year, health cabinet member Cllr Liz Phillips called on the Government to take action to stop chicken shops opening before 5pm to make sure school children were unable to use them.