Petrol thieves to get the spike

Drivestop is based on the idea of the police 'stinger'.

Drivers in Sheffield who try to avoid paying for their fuel will be stopped in their tracks from Thursday.

The Texaco garage on City Road has become the first in the north to introduce spikes which slash the tyres of offending vehicles.

Automatic sensors close to each pump activate a warning sound when a driver starts to leave without paying.

If the driver continues to leave sharp spikes automatically pop-up and puncture both rear tyres.

The City Road garage has been targeted repeatedly and manager Mark Elliot said it had lost thousands of pounds each year from people refusing to pay.

The Drivestop system is the brainchild of Jag Mudhar, a petrol retailer from the Midlands.

His original system has been refined and the latest version was unveiled at the City Road garage on Thursday.

'Think again'

Mr Mudhar said: "Eight years ago me and my family owned a forecourt and we were forced out of business by the sheer number of drive-offs.

"So I thought it was about time somebody did something about it."

The system has the full backing of South Yorkshire Police.

District Crime Reduction Officer, Det Con Stuart Wallace, said he hoped other fuel retailers would now follow suit.

He added: "The introduction of this product at the City Road Texaco site will no doubt cause potential fuel thieves to think again before attempting to commit further offences.

"This is the first such installation north of Leicester and although the criminals may not yet be aware of the implications, they soon will if they attempt to drive off the premises without paying for the fuel they have put in their tank."