A COUPLE said they were made to feel like criminals when staff at a Fenland petrol station accused them of stealing fuel.

Martin and Melissa Willows were devastated when a mix-up with a faulty pump led to a 30-minute argument with staff who stood by the door and refused to let them leave the Total Garage at Walton Highway, near Wisbech.

The broken pump had carried over �15 of petrol from the last customer and - despite checking the mistake with staff before filling up - the bewildered couple were ordered to pay for both amounts of fuel.

After a lengthy argument in front of a queue of customers, the Willows - who refused to pay for the excess petrol - were made to leave their names and addresses with staff.

Mr Willows, 42, said: “It was disgusting how they treated us. They argued the point for ages and got someone to stand by the door so we couldn’t get out.

“We were both made to feel like criminals in front of all the other customers. Once back in the car my wife became very tearful and upset at the fact that we had been accused of theft.

“There was a police car filling up behind us so we would have been pretty stupid to try to steal petrol.”

Mr Willows has since received a phone call from the garage’s head office informing him that, after an investigation, the pump was found to be faulty.

“I haven’t been back to that garage since,” he said. “I used to spend hundreds of pounds there but I’ve been driving three miles further to get petrol so I avoid it.”

A spokesman for Total said: “Total would like to unreservedly apologise to Mr and Mrs Willows for the confusion caused at our Wisbech service station.”