Petrol station staff called police after a man filled up his van with fuel and drove off without paying.

Police were called to a report of fuel theft - known as bilking - at Chatham Road petrol station in Maidstone at 5.49pm this afternoon.

Vijaya Ramesh, who was working in the station at the time, said the man filled up a silver transit van with more than £80 worth of fuel before trying to pay with a photo of a fuel card stored on his phone.

When she said taking payment by that method would be illegal, the man hurled abuse and said she could call the police before driving off.