A PADRE at RAF Lyneham allegedly made a night time raid on Forces fuel supplies to fill his own car up after a day trip, a court martial heard.

Squadron Leader Matthew Olanrewaju denies stealing 44.2 litres of diesel at 10.30pm on June 30.

Investigators discovered diesel had gone missing about the time the padre was spotted.

The 38-year-old priest allegedly stole 44 litres of diesel from Lyneham's fuel compound before speeding away at almost twice the speed limit.

Wing Cdr Simon Rowlinson, prosecuting, said: "RAF police officer Cpl Cliff Jones and another police officer were completing security checks around the airbase when they spotted a Land Rover Discovery. It was driving along a runway that was officially closed and into the fuel compound. They pulled the vehicle over and recognised the driver as Olanrewaju.

"He told them he was looking for the duty inspector at the fuel station who had paged him for advice, but he could not find him.

"Corporal Jones said he knew the padre's Army service vehicle was a red Vauxhall Corsa, and the Land Rover was forbidden from the compound, but allowed him to go home."

Wing Cdr Rowlinson said the corporal then contacted the duty fuel station inspector, who said that he had not paged the padre.

He said: "Olanrewaju said after he returned from Cambridge he visited the fuel supply in his service vehicle to fill it up before attending a course in London.

"When he returned home he realised he had dropped his wallet, so he drove back to the compound in his Land Rover to try to find it."

l The court martial continues