A thief has admitted driving off from 21 petrol stations across the West Midlands and Staffordshire without paying over a seven-month period.

Tadas Prismantas used two cars – both with the same stolen number plate – when he took fuel worth hundreds of pounds from garages across the region.

The 34-year-old, of Kendrick House, Green Lane, West Bromwich, pleaded guilty to six offences and asked for another 15 to be considered when he is sentenced.

Wolverhampton Magistrates Court heard he stole from filling stations in Wolverhampton, Dudley, Walsall, Stafford and across Sandwell between January and July last year.

The highest single amount stolen was worth £77, and it totalled more than £700 during that period. Prismantas, who has previous convictions for theft, was caught on CCTV.

Among the stations he targeted were the Millfields Garage in Millfields Road, Bilston, where he took £49.83 of fuel; Tesco in the Birmingham New Road, Burnt Tree, where he took £77.70 of fuel; and the Total Service Station in Bilston Road, Wednesbury, making off with petrol worth £50.85.

His other thefts included £45.72 worth from the Co-op in Dudley Port; £46.36 worth from the BP in Hagley Road West, Quinton; £32.38 of fuel from the Osprey Filling Station in Wolverhampton Road, Oldbury; £59.81 worth from BP in Stafford Road, Fordhouses and £57.98 and £50.85 from the Apple Green Service Station in Cannock Road, Wolverhampton.

He also stole from stations in Walsall and Stafford.

Magistrates adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report.