A man has fled the scene at a petrol station as police cars arrived.

The incident happened earlier today as staff at a BP in the Didcot and Wallingford area informed Thames Valley Police (TVP) that a potential bilking was going to happen.

Officers acted fast to arrive at the scene to prevent the crime but found that the man had fled the area without the vehicle.

The force released a statement on this incident on Thursday morning but an exact location has not been disclosed for the incident. We have asked the force on this.

READ MORE: Oxfordshire hit by FIFTH day of floods as schools and roads shut

A spokesperson for TVP said: “PCSOs Deacon and Jones noticed that a potential bilking was about to take place, as an individual has walked off after filling their tank.

“Upon checking the vehicle on police systems, officers discovered the vehicle had cloned plates.

“It is likely the male fled the scene after fuelling because he saw officers approach the store.

“The vehicle was seized.”

Help support trusted local news

Sign up for a digital subscription now: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/subscribe/

As a digital subscriber, you will get:     

  • Unlimited access to the Oxford Mail website        
  • Advert-light access             
  • Reader rewards             
  • Full access to our app