A banned driver who kept filling up his car and not paying for the petrol was recognised because of an article in the Norwich Evening News, a court was told.

The disabled 60-year-old had been pictured in the paper but still managed to pull the scam again a week later – and was confronted by a filling station manager, who called the police.

The defendant was already awaiting sentence for a series of similar offences and admitted 13 offences of getting petrol without paying for it and five each of driving while banned and without insurance.

He had asked for 25 similar offences of getting petrol to be considered and admitted being in breach of a conditional discharge imposed for stealing food worth £9.55 from an Asda store.

The magistrates decided the offences, combined with his previous record, were so serious that he should be dealt with at Norwich Crown Court.

The court was told how he had been pulling the same scam for years and was barred from a number of petrol stations.

But he targeted four particular garages which had a policy of allowing a customer who was unable to pay at the time seven days to pay.

During a period of more than a year he got petrol worth £832 without paying a penny.