West Midlands Police took a campaign on car security onto a garage forecourt last month in a bid to get their message across to motorists as they filled up their vehicles.

The team of officers, who visited the Tesco Extra store in Sutton Coldfield, said they were able to speak to more than 100 motorists in just one hour, and even agreed to fill their cars in exchange for a quick chat with them.

Commenting on the activity, PC Roy Pritchard said: “A few motorists were shocked to see us as they pulled up on the forecourt, but were more than happy to listen to the simple advice we were passing on in the minutes it took for them to fill their cars.”

Police Community Support Officer Russ Manley added: “It may seem like a strange tactic to some but in just over an hour we had the chance to speak to around 100 motorists and hand out some safety tips.

“The feedback from staff and customers was really positive and it is certainly a tactic we’ll be looking to repeat.”