Police pounced on an ice cream man who was caught on camera performing a solo sex act while on duty in his van.

Vincenzo Coffaro, 81, was filmed on a mobile phone when he was spied in full view through the serving hatch of his van pleasuring himself while parked at one of his regular pitches in Overton Road, Sutton.

The shocked parent called police and the pensioner was arrested, handcuffed and bundled into the back of a van.

Police said he received a caution last month after being arrested for indecent exposure in an ice cream van.

But after being released from custody Coffaro, from Sutton, was spotted selling ice creams the next day.

When confronted by the Sutton Guardian he insisted he would continue to ply his trade around the borough’s schools and parks – despite hygiene concerns.

Sutton trading standards said it could not stop him working because his offence was not sufficient for an immediate trading ban.

A mum-of-two captured footage of Italian Coffaro after spying him out of her window, where he was parked on Saturday, April 9, at about 3pm.

She described how he lifted his apron and was standing close to the serving window.

She said: "I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

"I called to my son to check my eyes weren’t deceiving me and he just said 'Oh my God'.

"I thought 'He can't get away with it', so I filmed it with my mobile phone.

"A few minutes later the parks police drove around, I was still shaking, so I went outside and told them what had happened and showed them the footage.

"Next thing, several police cars had turned up with their sirens and pulled him out of his van, handcuffed him and taken him away."

When the Sutton Guardian asked Coffaro why he had done it, he just shrugged.

He is understood to have told police he had done it because he was bored.

Councillor Simon Wales, Sutton Council’s executive member for communities, transport and voluntary sector, said: "We take food hygiene very seriously and premises that sell food, including vehicles, are regularly inspected.

"In this case, it's fair to say an unannounced visit will be carried out soon."