AN RAF Lyneham padre 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 is accused of driving into the base and ignoring 12-feet long signs forbidding him from driving on a runway.

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

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

Wing Commander Simon Rowlinson, prosecuting, said: "RAF police officer Corporal Cliff Jones and another police officer were completing security checks around the airbase when they spotted a Landrover Discovery. It was driving along a runway that was officially closed and into the fuel compound.

"A few minutes passed and the Landrover emerged again, leaving the compound.

"Corporal Jones became suspicious because the signs forbidding cars on the runway were 12-feet long and could not be missed."

Corporal Jones pulled the Landrover over and recognised the driver as Squadron Leader Olanrewaju, the duty padre on the base.

"Olanrewaju told him he was looking for the duty inspector at the fuel station who had paged him that night for advice but whom he could not find.

"Corporal Jones said he knew the padre's army service vehicle was a red Vauxhall Corsa and the Landrover must have been privately owned and forbidden from the compound anyway, but he decided to allow his superior officer to go home."

Wing Co Rowlinson said the suspicious corporal then contacted the duty fuel station inspector, who said that at no point that night did he page the padre.

When questioned by police, Olanrewaju told officers that after he returned from Cambridge he visited the fuel supply in his service vehicle Vauxhall Corsa to fill it up before attending a work course in London the next day.

"Olanrewaju said when he returned to his home he realised he had dropped his wallet, so he drove back to the fuel compound in his Landrover to try to find it.

Olanrewaju, of 47 Squadron RAF, denies stealing 44.2 litres of diesel at 10.30pm on June 30 last year from RAF Lyneham, near Swindon, Wilts. The court martial continues.