Scam in a van: Petrol thief converts Ford Transit Van into 4,500-litre capacity fuel tanker that he used to empty forecourts Ryan Lewis, 28, adapted his Ford Focus and Ford Transit van into tankers He drove between stations filling up £130 at a time before fleeing Thief sentenced to eight months in prison at Bradford Crown Court A thief converted his van into a makeshift fuel tanker that he used to raid petrol forecourts. Ryan Lewis, 28, converted his Ford Transit by installing a huge tanker capable of holding 4,550 litres of fuel. The transportable tank allowed Lewis to steal huge amounts of petrol, totalling £6,500, in front of unsuspecting staff at service stations before driving off. Jailed: Ryan Lewis, 28, was sentenced to eight months in prison at Bradford Crown Court after fitting a 4,550-litre container (right) in his Ford Transit van and using it to steal fuel from service stations Officers spotted Lewis, from Bradford, on CCTV filling up two vehicles with £130 of fuel at a time without paying as he travelled between petrol stations across West Yorkshire. When he was arrested, detectives discovered he had fitted large containers capable of carrying about 1,000 gallons in fuel into a Ford Transit van and a Ford Focus. Police released photographs of the converted white van and warned fuel thieves they will be locked up after Lewis was jailed for eight months. He was sentenced at Bradford Crown Court after pleading guilty to two counts of theft. His swindling was discovered the end of a six-month investigation by officers from Airedale and North Bradford specifically dealing with fuel theft under Operation Kerryhil. Tanker: Officers spotted Lewis, from Bradford, on CCTV filling up two vehicles with £130 of fuel at a time without paying as he travelled between petrol stations across West Yorkshire PC Dennis McCoy, of Airedale and North Bradford CID, said: 'He would travel from one petrol station to another, filling up the vehicles with £130, the most that can be taken from a fuel pump at a time. Making off from petrol stations without payment for fuel is a serious offence and this sentence sends out a message that if you steal fuel we will catch you and you will very likely go to jail. Detective Sergeant John Wolstencroft, who leads the team, said detectives had worked closely with a number of petrol stations and garages across the area during the investigation.