A council bin collector from Cricklewood has a renewed appreciation for his job in London after working in Indonesia for ten days.

Wilbur Ramirez, a binman in Hammersmith and Fulham, will feature in BBC series Toughest Place in the World to be a ... after collecting rubbish in poverty-striken Jakarta in Indonesia.

Mr Ramirez said: "I thought it would be tough, but I could never imagine how tough."

While in Jakarta, Mr Ramirez took over the round of a dustman and street sweeper called Imam.

Working seven days a week, the job involved not only collecting rubbish but sweeping the front of houses, opening and clearing storm drains - all in bare feet and without gloves.

Mr Ramirez lived with Imam and his family just yards away from the rubbish tip.

He said: "I couldn't believe how they live.

"Nobody has a toilet there, and there is just one cable where everybody gets their electricity from. I've seen countless rats in my daily work, but out there they are the size of rabbits."

Imam receives a tiny wage for the job, so every day he works late, sorting recyclables from the rubbish pile to sell on for a little more cash.

Mr Ramirez built a strong bond with Imam while working there and negotiated a pay rise for him after confronting Imam's boss.

He said: "Imam told me I was like a brother to him and he couldn't understand why I cared so much for him and his family."

Mr Ramirez took over the round for himself, giving Imam a day off, and described it as a "nightmare".

He said: "For me, I go back to my job, driving a truck, with a uniform and gloves and, at the end of my shift, go home to my family.

"For them this nightmare goes on every day."

The Toughest Place in the World to be a Binman will screen on BBC2 on Sunday, January 29, at 9pm.