Crime prevention officers from Oxford were due to be among the guest speakers today at a national conference aimed at tackling the problem of people driving off from garages without paying for fuel.

'Bilking', as it is known to police, makes up 3.4 per cent of all recorded crime in the Thames Valley area.

Between April and December last year, it is estimated fuel worth more than £155,000 was stolen across the region.

Oxford's bilking officer Pc Pete Hickman will be joining Cowley crime reduction officer Pc Keith Raw, Thames Valley Assistant Chief Constable Sarah Thornton and force crime reduction officer Det Insp Steve Avil at the conference, at the Metropolitan Police Training College in London.

ACC Thornton said: "Thames Valley Police want retailers to take ownership of the problem, putting in place systems to thwart potential drive-offs, training their staff, sharing information with each other and adopting better security procedures."

In Oxfordshire, a number of petrol stations saw a dramatic drop in bilking last year after launching hi-tech offensives against thieves.

The BP service station at Wolvercote roundabout and Sainsbury's petrol stations at Kidlington and Heyford Hill all installed new cameras. After installing a automatic number plate recognition system, the BP garage saw offences drop by about 75 per cent.