Volunteers from three fast food restaurants swapped takeaways for trowels as they helped spruce up a community garden.

Staff at the Forest Gate, Beckton and Barking branches of McDonald’s joined forces to improve the Forest Gate Community Garden.

They helped to paint flower beds, pick up leaves and lay tarmac for a children’s play area.

The event was part of the Mayor of London’s Capital Clean-Up campaign, which is run in partnership with the fast food chain.

Fanchisee Zulfikar Somji said: “I’d like to thank everyone involved for their hard work- It’s amazing what can be achieved when people pull together.

“I’m really proud of everyone from my restaurants who volunteer their time to make a real difference to a community project.

“It’s great to see the new improvements to the garden would not have been possible without the help of everyone involved on the day. ‘’

The garden, in Earlham Grove, is run by the area’s residents, who have spent two years transforming a piece of derelict land into a communal area.