The moment a van used to fly-tip was crushed into a pancake has been caught on camera.

Merton Police released the footage after seizing a van from a home in Mitcham.

A spokesman said when they checked the vehicle, they came across a huge surprise.

"Upon closer inspection, the undercarriage of the vehicle was mostly rotted away, with holes dangerously close to critical areas of the van," he said.

"Due to the circumstances of it being involved in fly tipping though, it was scheduled for destruction."

But then came a twist in the tale.

"Amazingly, a new owner suddenly came forward, claiming that the vehicle shouldn’t be destroyed as he had recently purchased the death trap for a tidy thousand pounds," the spokesman added.

"Even more incredibly, there was no paperwork to prove that.

"Attending a local company in the grey drizzle, they began by delicately removing the van from the loader with their crane.

"Getting it expertly to the ground with minimal damage, we concluded that the operator must be a whizz at the funfair. After this, the van needed to be 'de-polluted' as they tend to explode if not done so.

"All fluids drained, it was then that the vehicle truly became a flatbed with all parts being recycled."

Another smashing day it would seem.