Customers at one of Shell’s leading outlets in the East Midlands have been told it is now safe to use the forecourt after hundreds of people lost cash when their bank cards were cloned. Banks have been contacting motorists who used the Shell Trocadero forecourt, on

the outskirts of Leicester, to tell them that cash had been drawn from their accounts in Australia, Canada, Ghana, India, Thailand, Malaysia and America. The banks say that thousands may have fallen victim to the scam.

Both the police and Shell launched an investigation as soon as the cloning came to light on May 13. Leicestershire police have now issued a statement saying: "Shell has taken steps to make sure that people are safe to use their cards at the garage."

One victim, Jane Ushwell, was alerted by Barclays after three separate withdrawals totalling £115 had been made from her account in Thailand, while she was at home in Leicester. She believes her details were cloned when she used the Trocadero’s chip and pin machine to pay for fuel.