Margaret Hodge’s constituents have been driven Barking mad by eyesore gardens, so they will have been delighted to see their MP launch a new campaign clamping down on anti-social mess. Hodge wrote in the Barking and Dagenham Post recently:

“It is extremely frustrating the minority spoil the environment for others. I became an MP to create a fairer society and improve the borough for residents. That is why I have kick-started my cleaner streets campaign. We have to work together as a community to tackle this problem and restore pride in our streets. If you see an area that needs to be cleaned, report it straight away to the council online or by phone. They have a special eyesore gardens programme to tackle unruly gardens. We have some real things to celebrate in the borough and I want to make sure that every resident in Barking and Dagenham can be proud of our streets.”

Guido would never be so presumptuous as to suggest that Margaret Hodge might tell someone to do one thing and then herself practice the opposite, so we present these photos of her constituency office without comment:

A local resident complains:

“I regularly walk past Ms Hodge‘s constituency office in North Street. The front garden is an absolute disgrace and is attracting foxes. Clearly they have mistaken it for some sort of nature reserve, and who can blame them?”

Perhaps she should take some gardening leave?