A senior police officer says a change in mentality among petrol companies is needed to stop drivers from stealing fuel.

Supt Yvette Hitch, the area commander for Chiltern and South Bucks, said all petrol stations should set their pumps up so customers have to pay for their fuel before filling up.

She said this would lead to the practice of 'bilking' - driving off without paying for petrol - being completely wiped out.

Figures released this week showed the number of bilking offences committed in the Chiltern and South Bucks area in the year leading up to March 31 had increased by more than a third.

In 2013-14 the number of offences committed was 446 but last year this went up to 602 - an increase of 35 per cent.

Supt Hitch said: "If the petrol station industry went to pre paid, they could virtually wipe that out.

"We need to do some work with garages and petrol stations to try and change that mentality and wipe that crime out.

"I don't know the national picture [compared to Chiltern and South Bucks] but I can't imagine it's any different.

"Lots of garages have gone to pre paid and a change in how the industry deals with it could stop crime taking place."