Two men who were planning to use cloned credit cards to buy petrol have been warned they may face a jail sentence.

Americo Ferreira, 25, and Sarwar Abdurahaman, 22, were arrested by police at a service station with about 15 empty cannisters packed into their car.

When they were searched officers found Ferreira was carrying 14 cloned credit cards.

The two men were charged after Sussex Police targeted the Tesco service station, at Broadbridge Heath, following reports that cloned cards were being repeatedly used there.

Detective Constable Chris Howbery-Gale said the petrol pumps in use at the time meant customers only needed to swipe their bank cards through a machine without inputting their pin number.

He said this led to criminals with cloned bank cards using the unmanned all-night service station.

The officer said people were believed to have travelled miles in order to collect the petrol and then sell it on, making a profit.

He said: "The service station was hit by a rash of cloned card usage last summer. Word got around and they were coming from everywhere."

He said when the scam was uncovered Tesco changed procedures and the problem stopped.

The cards found on the two men were cloned from customers living mainly in the Cambridge area.

At Lewes Crown Court Ferreira, of Mullein Walk, Crawley, and Abdurahaman, of Argus Walk, Crawley, admitted possessing the cards for use in fraud.

The court heard they were stopped by police keeping check at the service station in the early hours of July 15 last year.

Tetteh Turkson, prosecuting, said the cards were found on Ferreira. Some were blank, with only a magnetic strip on the back containing the information needed to use it fraudulently. Two of the cards had exactly the same details.

He said: "The prosecution say they intended to buy petrol with the cards. The cards had been used in the past but the prosecution cannot say the defendants used them."

He said the cards had been used to buy goods worth £1,500 previously.

Judge Guy Anthony released the two men on bail and adjourned sentence until May 21. He told them the "possibility of a custodial sentence" would be considered.