An eight-year-old disabled girl is the latest victim in a spate of fuel thefts from cars spreading across south Bristol.

Schoolgirl Megan Sutton, who has cerebral palsy, depends on her mother's Vauxhall Corsa for freedom, as her special buggy is too big for buses.

Now her mother Maureen Sutton, 48, lives in fear of a second attack after thieves drained her fuel tank of petrol causing £260 of damage.

It is one of six raids on plastic fuel tanks revealed to the Post yesterday by a neighbourhood watch coordinator, who asked to remain unnamed.

On Saturday, we exposed how fuel thieves targeted cars belonging to at least 16 south Bristol drivers.

Mrs Sutton, a full-time carer, left her house in Stockwood on September 8 to take Megan to her first day back at school. However, she was shocked to find petrol spilt all over the road beneath her car.

The mother-of-three had lost about £14 of fuel to thieves after they punched a hole with a drill in the plastic tank.

She said: "Megan depends on my car for her mobility and freedom. They stole just over a quarter of a tank but even that amount of cash is money we just can't afford to lose.

"When I called up Central Garages in Stockwood they said they'd had lots of cars brought in recently with the same problem. It would cost me about £190 for a new tank and to fit it would take the price up to £260 because you have to replace the whole thing.

"In the end I didn't get it replaced but patched it up with a special sealant. I checked with the garage first and so far it's held.

"But I'm panic-stricken about it. I feel such relief when the petrol is still there in the morning. It's a constant worry to me. I do feel like we're being terrorised in a sense."

A neighbour, who uses the same off-street parking area, has also been hit by thieves in the last month.

And the Stockwood neighbourhood watch coordinator said models of car particularly at risk are Vauxhall Corsas, Vauxhall Astras and the Citroen Saxo. All have been fitted with plastic fuel tanks for around a decade.

Spokesman for the AA, Gavin Hill-Smith, said: "Unfortunately we are seeing an increase in fuel thefts.

"There's more chance of people becoming victims of car crime. It is being driven by the rise in fuel prices. We would urge people to keep their cars in garages overnight."

Simon Douglas, director of AA Insurance, added: "AA Insurance is reporting claims where thieves have damaged cars while attempting to steal fuel, leaving owners facing not just the loss of a perhaps £100 worth of petrol or diesel but the cost of repairing fuel systems and car bodywork as well as the loss of their excess and possibly no claim bonus, if an insurance claim is made.

"This is a new crime resulting from high fuel and scrap metal values. It causes considerable inconvenience and expense for innocent motorists.

He added: "Thieves work quickly and carelessly, sometimes causing hundreds of pounds of damage."

Inspector Colin Salmon, of Brislington police station, said: "We are aware of the problem and monitor all the crime that takes place on a daily basis.

"This is a unique spate of thieves breaking into petrol tanks. We alerted 104 neighbourhood watch coordinators to the problem.

"We've had 12 reported crimes since April and there was a noticeable rise in August. However, we haven't had any reports in the last two weeks.

"We would encourage any victims of fuel thieves to report the crime immediately."

Avon and Somerset Police warned residents of south Bristol to be extra vigilant and check round their vehicles before getting into it.

Anyone with information about fuel siphoning should call 0845 4567000 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.