Camberwell Green Magistrates Court has sentenced a man to a 12-month prison sentence for stealing fuel from petrol stations and driving off.

The court heard that on four occasions Garkan Sacir used his father’s car to drive to petrol stations, fill the tank and then drive away without his father’s knowledge.

In addition to his prison sentence, Sacir was ordered to complete 160 hours unpaid work on his release and to pay £80 costs.

Lambeth PC Brian Smith, who investigated the case, said: “This sends out a clear message to those who think they can drive away without paying for petrol.

“We will catch you and place you before the courts, it is a crime and you can expect the punishment to reflect that.”