DRIVERS are being forced to pay up-front for their petrol to combat an alarming increase in "drive-off" crimes from Bolton petrol stations.

The move is intended to put the brake on thieves who race away from garages without paying after filling their vehicles with petrol.

The crime spree is blighting the town's petrol stations. Some brazen thieves are even adding extra tanks to their cars to make four-star pickings even richer and others are using false number plates to avoid detection.

Motorway officers are so concerned about the number of drive-off thefts at the services near Horwich on the M61 that they have appointed a full-time detective to deal with the problem.

A random survey of Bolton petrol stations by the BEN found that even some of those which had not yet introduced a pre-paid system are now considering it.

Some Bolton garages in locations where thieves have a choice of getaway routes have already started asking drivers to pre-pay after the night shift starts work.

Late night and early hours are the worst times for drive-off thefts when the general flow of customers at filling stations has quietened down. A spokesman for the police crime management unit said the latest rise in fuel prices has brought a big increase in fuel thefts of all kinds.

He said: "Filling stations are being targeted at night, but thieves are also taking diesel from the tanks of HGVs parked up overnight.

"In the case of filling stations, we welcome initiatives like asking drivers to pre-pay for fuel."

The Shell Newbrook station at Over Hulton was one of the first to start asking motorists to pay up-front. The pumps are out of the direct line of vision of staff and were being selected by thieves. Thefts have fallen significantly since then, according to a spokesman.

The system was tried at the Bolton Service station, Bradford Road, as a trial for late night petrol sales, but some customers complained and it was dropped in favour of other security measures.

A spokesman for Bridgeman Place Services near Bolton town centre said: "Staff get to know regulars but some unknown customers are asked to pay first. If thefts continue, we may have to use the system more."

The British Oil Security Syndicate was set up to fight forecourt crime in all its forms, and says thefts from Britain's 14,800 petrol stations is costing more than £11million-a-year. And that was BEFORE the latest fuel price hike.

It estimates that every petrol station in the UK is losing an average of £3,200-a-year from drive-offs, credit card fraud and criminal damage. Almost all filling stations now have CCTV on the forecourt, but false number plates on cars make detection even harder.

Kevin Eastwood, BOSS executive director, said: "It is important to remember that most motorists are law abiding.

"To introduce a pre-payment system for fuel is usually neither practical nor financially viable.

"A pilot scheme in the North-west proved pre-payment was not customer friendly. Thieves stealing from forecourts are usually tied up in more serious crime and talks are continuing with police to extend a Forecourt Watch scheme."