A WORCESTER petrol station at the centre of a £400,000 card cloning scam has been investigated by police.

Yesterday afternoon officers blocked the entrances to the BP garage in Castle Street, preventing customers from entering.

A police spokesman said: "We were contacted by a member of the public who was concerned that there may have been an illegal activity involving a credit card and that BP station.

"We have investigated it, including looking at CCTV footage, and we believe no crime has been committed.

"But we are very grateful to this member of the public for raising it and being vigilant as everybody should be when their cards are being used."

In March the Worcester News revealed crooks had plundered £400,000 from the bank accounts of drivers who filled up at the Castle Street station and at the BP garage in Blackpole Road, Worcester.

In April 2006, the stations were temporarily closed and a major investigation was launched by Worcester police and Scotland Yard after fraudsters in the Middle East used the bank details of customers of both garages to pocket thousands of pounds in a cloning operation. A second investigation was launched in November when customers who used the Castle Street station reported money disappearing overseas.

In March police revealed eight people were arrested in England and released on bail while investigations continue. Interviews are now complete and police are preparing a file for the Crown Prosecution Service.