POLICE have discovered a van being used to commit fuel thefts in Widnes with the thief and a young child passenger escaping.

Cheshire Police Roads and Crime Unit revealed that this morning, Wednesday, a vehicle was located which was known to ‘use cloned plates to commit fuel thefts’.

Recovered in Widnes, the vehicle attempted to ‘evade patrol’ after Cheshire Police spotted the known fuel-stealer.

A driver and young child passenger were spotted in the vehicle, however by the time Cheshire Police found the van, the pair had escaped.