A TAXI customer tried to use an unofficial credit card "cashback" method to pay his way when he couldn't afford a fare, a court was told.

Paul Cartlidge, 30, of Hertford Street, Blackburn, tried to pay to fill the taxi with petrol in return for getting half the value of the fuel back in cash from the cabbie, Blackburn magis-trates heard.

The court was told drivers working for Highfield Taxis in Bolton Road, cashed in using the system. But after the case, the owner of the firm, Faroq Khan, denied his drivers did anything wrong and police said they believed the incident was a one-off.

Magistrates were told people involved were "desperate" and often had no other means of raising the cash to pay the taxi fare.

Credit card firms do not deny payment for petrol even when they do not allow cash withdrawals on debit and credit cards, the court heard.

Neil White, prosecuting, said police were aware of drivers from a particular firm doing the same thing in the past.

Basharat Ditta, defending Cartlidge said the firm and its drivers were well aware that if people went to a cash point and couldn't get money because they are overdrawn they could still use the same card to pay for petrol.

The court heard Cartlidge had gone to pay for petrol using his girlfriend's card but had forgotten the pin number.

He and the driver of the taxi left without paying but Cartlidge produced a receipt to show he had been back and settled with the garage.

Cartlidge pleaded guilty to making off without payment for petrol worth £38. He was given a conditional discharge for nine months and ordered to pay £35 costs.