A fly-tipper who illegally dumped waste "as heavy as six elephants" in a street in Waddon has been jailed for six months.

Gladstone Mark Buchanan, 45, of Streatham Vale, piled a "staggering" 42 tonnes of furniture and building materials in Martin Crescent between October 2011 and January 2012. 

Magistrates also ordered him to pay £7,413 costs after he admitted three breaches of environmental and pollution laws. 

He was jailed at Croydon Magistrates Court on Thursday after being prosecuted by Croydon Council.

Councillor Stuart Collins, the council’s cabinet member for Clean and Green Croydon, said: "This illegal dump was on a staggering scale; 42 tonnes of waste are as heavy as six elephants.

“This case is a warning to all flytippers – our enforcement team will track and prosecute anyone who illegally stores or gets rid of waste in Croydon."

Buchanan is the eight fly-tipper successfully prosecuted by the council this year. 

Anyone with information on dumped waste can contact the council’s fly-tipping hotline on 020 8604 7000 or email flytip@croydon.gov.uk.