A vigilante who lures paedophiles into traps and videos the consequences says police rejection of his actions only “feeds the fire in my chest”.

Stinson Hunter, 33, has accused Herts police of ignoring his contribution in the conviction of paedophile and child groomer Steven Stapleton, who was sentenced on Friday.

Nicknamed The Paedophile Hunter and featured in a Channel 4 documentary earlier this year, Mr Hunter claims he should be given credit for helping to convict Stapleton, 29, who was arrested in August last year after he posted a video online.

He said: “The police don’t like what I do but that’s not going to stop me because it has to be done. They did not even tell me about the case and the first I heard of it was online.

“The more they criticise me the more it just feeds the fire in my chest and makes me want to carry on what I’m doing.

“The police have got millions of pounds and I’m just one guy who has made such an impact which is why I think they don’t like me. Basically, I’m showing them up.”

A spokesman for Herts Police said: “The follow-up investigation which resulted in the sentencing of Stapleton came as a direct result of evidence obtained by the police.

“Given the evidence obtained did not involve a contribution from Mr Hunter, he had no right to be informed about the case and it would have been inappropriate to do so.”