The eternal question that is “Where’s Wally?” has been solved by a team of Google enthusiasts who tracked down the elusive character in Wandsworth.

Google, which launched its Street View service on Thursday, announced a man dressed as Wally was hiding somewhere in the web tool, complete with his trademark red-and-white stripey jumper and matching hat.

Just hours later, Google Sightseeing Team found him waving at the camera car outside a phone shop in Putney High Street.

“Here’s Wally! Google announced that Wally was somewhere in the UK Street View, and we found him in London,” the team declared on Twitter.

The service has already generated controversy since its launch, with some arguing it’s a step towards a Big Brother state and others hailing it a technological success.

• Have Google captured anything strange in your area? Leave a comment below.