The incident has sent panic across the district with consumers forced to check their bank accounts and there is real fear that a number of customers could find their accounts cleared out.

Banking giant HSBC said investigations were underway to establish how the scam could have happened but speculated that the fraudsters could have used a skimming device mounted on a cashpoint or a credit reading machine.

The bank asked all customers who had recently used their bank card at the site to visit the local branch as a "precautionary measure".

HSBC spokesman Tom Pie asked people to conceal their PIN numbers at checkouts and at cashpoints, adding: "Unfortunately we are facing an on-going battle with this type of crime. But I can assure any of our customers who might have been affected that they will get their money back, and quickly.

BP spokesman Mark Salt told the Guardian: "We are in the process of investigating complaints of cards being compromised at this site. This is something BP takes extremely seriously.

"Additional security measures have been installed on the CHIP & PIN machines at BP forecourts to try and alleviate the problem of credit card fraud.