A truck used to dump rubbish in Sydenham has been crushed by Bromley Council.

The Ford Tipper was seized by the council after it was caught on CCTV being used to fly-tip in Kangley Bridge Road.

The council said that as there was no evidence to suggest the driver was involved in the crime, and no owner came forward after the vehicle was confiscated, it was within its rights to crush the truck.

Councillor Kate Lymer, executive councillor for public protection and enforcement said: “We will keep tackling the dangerous menace of fly tipping in all the ways possible.

“Seizing suspected vehicles in fly-tipping incidents is just one of the ways our ‘Fly-tippers – we’re watching you’ campaign aims to address this issue.

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“We will prosecute where the evidence exists and we are using vehicle ‘stop and search’ operations with the police.

“Unclaimed vehicles, like this one, will be crushed and the parts reused if possible.

“It is not too late to report more information that comes to light and details can be reported to us in confidence at www.bromley.gov.uk/envirocrime .”

Fly-tipping witnesses can be rewarded with up to £500 from Bromley Council as a ‘thank you’ if it leads to a prosecution.

The seizure comes as Bromley councillors were told that a crackdown on arson and fly-tipping has proved successful in the borough.

Dumped rubbish is the biggest cause of arson, a recent Safer Partnership meeting was told.

In the last three months, three operations have been undertaken in Penge and Cray Valley East – two areas earmarked as being particularly blighted by problems.

Fly-tipping costs councils upwards of  £250,000 a year to clear, and some dumps can hit authorities harder in the pocket as they have to investigate whether the rubbish is hazardous.

The council recently slammed “dangerous” mountains of dumped rubbish blocking Star Lane.

Information on how to legally dispose of rubbish is available at www.bromley.gov.uk/wastenews