A fly-tipper caught dumping 10 tonnes of waste outside garages in Waddon has been ordered to pay nearly £2,000 in costs and compensation.

Louis Robinson was caught dumping tonnes of mixed waste, including a carpet, sofas and bathroom furniture, near garages on Thorneloe Gardens.

The 29-year-old was seen by residents fly-tipping in the garage area on several occasions and was reported to the council.

A secret CCTV camera set up by the council lead to his identification, allowing police to arrest him when he returned to the site.

Councillor Stuart Collins, cabinet member for clean, green Croydon, said: “I’m grateful for all the hard work officers and residents put in to help catch Robinson and will be writing to those responsible for administrating the 240 hours unpaid work to suggest it is carried out clearing fly tips.

“Fly-tipping is a serious crime and blights our communities. We will always do everything we can to bring offenders to justice."

Robinson and an unidentified man were captured on the same day cameras were installed arriving in a white Ford Transit van to dump a large quantity of waste.

While on patrol a few days later, officers saw the same van parked on the side of the road, with Robinson loading garden waste, including fence posts, into the back of it.

The officers approached him, and with the assistance of the local police team seized the vehicle, which was later destroyed by the council.

Robinson was arrested, taken into police custody and questioned under caution about the fly-tipping offences by council officers.

He initially claimed he was helping a friend to transport the household items into the garage area, but later admitted the waste had been collected from a number of local residential addresses.

The fly-tips he left behind cost more than £1,500 to clear up. Robinson was ordered to pay the cost of clearing up the waste when he was sentenced at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 16 January.

Robinson, of Headley Drive, New Addington, was convicted of depositing waste on public land contrary to the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

He was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 240 hours of unpaid work and told to pay compensation of £1,518, costs of £300 and a £85 victim surcharge. He was also made subject to a two-year criminal behaviour order.