Van drivers have been derided as unintelligent for long enough - now the hunt is on to find the UK’s brainiest van driver.

Leading van leasing specialists, LeaseVan, has launched a new contest to rehabilitate the reputation of Britain’s army of van drivers.

They believe the popular image of White Van Man is outdated, unjustified and even offensive to many honest, hard-working drivers.

They even believe that the negative image may be deterring some people from starting their own independent businesses, as they don’t want to be perceived as a White Van Man, or woman.

Now they have launched a nationwide search to find Britain’s Brainiest Van Driver, aimed at ridding the myth of the poorly educated van driver once and for all.

They want to celebrate the many thousands of British van drivers who follow intellectual pursuits, such as playing chess, completing crossword puzzles and tuning in to documentaries.

Van drivers have until the end of November to enter, by sending in a photo of themselves enjoying their favourite brainy pastime. The winner of the contest will be announced at the beginning of December and will receive a prize of £100 in Amazon vouchers in time for Christmas.

Among the early front-runners is London based, Harsha Rathnayake from Junkhunters.co.uk, who has demonstrated his smarts by acquiring an MBA and a degree in Automotive Engineering.

Starting with a single van, he built his own business up to a £1.5m turnover and a fleet of vehicles, and now has plans to franchise across the UK.

A spokesperson for Lease Van said: “We feel the image of the White Van Man leaves them short changed and doesn’t do them justice. It started out as a bit of fun but it’s become a negative for many.

“You don’t have to be a genius to enter our contest.”

Harsha Rathnayake added: “People are often surprised to hear that you have several degrees yet still drive a van for a living.

“It is this sort of thinking that plays into the stereotype of a White Van Man, so I hope that this contest can help finally put an end to this image the public has of us.”

If you are a van driver who is well known for finishing the crossword in record time or you always get the conundrum on Countdown, send in a photo of you showing how clever you are, by email: