Suspected Warwickshire fuel thief tries to trick police by putting on limp and pretending his crowbar was walking stick

A suspected fuel thief in Warwickshire tried to trick police by putting on a limp and pretending his crowbar was a walking stick.

But the officers were not having any of it - and the pungent smell of diesel coming from him only further aroused their suspicions.

And their instincts were right - inside the man’s van was a 1,000-litre container, several large blue barrels and a petrol-powered pump with a flexible hose attached, designed to drain diesel from vehicles.

The incident happened in the early hours of this morning (Monday) when eagle-eyed officers in an unmarked car spotted a man with a crowbar near a van at a service station on the M6.

Warwickshire Police said: "Despite walking to the van with no trouble the officers reported he unexpectedly developed a limp and used the crowbar as a walking stick when they challenged him. They became further suspicious at the pungent odour of diesel coming from him.

"Suspicions aroused they checked the back of the man’s van where they found a 1,000-litre container, several large blue barrels and a petrol-powered pump with a flexible hose attached. This equipment could be used to drain diesel from a vehicle should someone desire to do so!

"Needless to say, the gentleman and his friend were invited to the police station to explain what they were doing at the service station and account for the equipment in the back of the van."