A New Zealand man who found himself in a service station queue with no money has attempted to pay for his food with cannabis, the Dominion Post newspaper reported.

Unfortunately he did not get a chance to discover whether the attendant would accept his offer, as the person behind him in the queue was a police officer.

The man's attempt to buy two packets of chocolate and a packet of potato chips to satisfy his "munchies" was caught short when he was arrested.

He must have been hungry, as he failed to notice the police patrol car being filled with petrol, the paper reported.

The 28-year-old mechanic from the small North Island town of Carterton pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis in the Masterton District Court and was remanded for sentencing.

- Reuters