FUEL thieves have been described as "scum bags" by one of their victims.

Samantha Naylor and her boyfriend Daniel were put at risk when they set off in their car only to find that the fuel pipe had been severed with diesel flowing out into the road.

Samantha, 25, of Habergham Street, Padiham, said: "The tyres were all over the place, I could have been in a serious accident.

"The people who did this and syphoned petrol from five other vehicles on our car park are just scum bags just thinking of themselves and no one else."

Samantha, a sales assistant at Direct Fotos, Blackburn, has lost at least two day's wages as a result of the incident, £50 in diesel, plus the cost of repairs to her Vauxhall Cavalier.

Fuel from five other cars was syphoned off but they cut the fuel pipe on her car and left it open after filling their containers.

The thieves may have been caught on cctv.

Samantha said: "There is a security camera at the Britannia pub. I have looked at the film and it shows two or three lads on the car park at 2.15am. That film is now being taken to the police for further examination."

Samantha set off at 5.50am yesterday to take Daniel to work at Lupton's in Burnley. She said: "I filled up the car specially so that I could get him to work and for me to travel to work at Blackburn.

"Since this happened I am stuck at home and I feel so sick about it that I have not even been able to watch the news of the fuel crisis on television." VICTIM: Samantha Naylor with the cut pipe. Her car skidded on the leaking diesel