Amanda White and her partner Simon Ebbs, of Main Street, Preston, have recently moved into the village and because of pressure of parking, had parked their two cars overnight in the village hall car park last Tuesday.

The following morning two church wardens knocked at their door at about 8am, inquiring if they had a car in the village hall car park as they thought the fuel had drained from the tank.

Amanda (41) said: "Our cars were parked side by side and there is a slight incline and I noticed a stain under the middle of my car passing under Simon's car and into the drain.

"You could smell the fumes, I didn't think it was malicious damage and my first thought was for health and safety."

The two cars are a diesel Ford Focus and a petrol Skoda Fabia. An electrician who was working in the village hall took a look under the Skoda and saw the hole.

And it soon became clear that both cars had been targeted by thieves who had attempted to steal petrol and diesel.

Amanda said: "I think they drained the fuel into a shallow tray because they couldn't have got a regular petrol tank underneath it. The garage confirmed that someone had drilled a hole in the underside of the petrol tank.

"I've heard of remote farms being targeted for diesel but I'd never heard of anything like this before. It is unbelievable, whoever did it risked their own health, they must have been lying in a pool of fuel. From the stench of the fuel I don't think they would have got very much.

"You just think what is the world coming to, it is frightening."

She was also concerned the fuel might have poisoned the water course and telephoned Anglian Water who checked the drain and the village pond and said all is fine.

Amanda said: "They were brilliant. Preston is a beautiful village and people have made us incredibly welcome. We know it is nothing personal, just incredibly bad luck."

The cost of lost fuel and new petrol tanks for the couple is £700.