A van featured on camera footage shamelessly dumping rubbish which was viewed by thousands of people on social media has been seized in Thornton Heath.

The vehicle was pulled over in Northwood Road by officers from Thornton Heath Safer Neighbourhood Team on July 15 thanks to ‘eagle eyed’ Croydon Council Neighbourhood Safety officers, who had been hunting the van linked to the shocking fly-tip in Harrington Road, South Norwood .

The footage of the fly-tip shows the moving vehicle reverse in to a residential car park and tip out rubble, tarpaulins and other rubbish before pulling off without the driver even getting out of the vehicle. The van is thought to be linked to three other fly-tips across Croydon.

Neighbourhood Safety Operations Manager Chris McAvoy, posted: “So pleased to have finally seized this, our most wanted vehicle and suspected of being involved in numerous large scale offences.”

Officers swooped on another van on Holmesdale Road on July 3 also connected to illegal fly tips.

Neighbourhood Safety Officer Travis posted: “We are working closely with residents in Thornton Heath. One of the vans seized this week was responsible for various incidents of large fly tips around Thornton Heath.”

He also posted another image under the heading ‘busted’ of two people fined for fly tipping in Thornton Heath.

If convicted by a court, fly-tippers face an unlimited fine, criminal behaviour orders, property forfeiture and – in the most serious cases – prison sentences.

The Don’t Mess with Croydon campaign, which seeks to crack down on fly-tipping and other environmental crimes in the borough, was launched six years ago and has helped seize 51 vehicles linked to fly-tipping.