DOZENS of drivers have been locked out of their cars or left unable to start their engines, due to bizarre electrical interference at a York petrol station.

Bosses at Tesco at Clifton Moor are investigating but say they are baffled by the mysterious force, which has been affecting motorists on their forecourt.

The phenomenon has hit drivers of cars with keyless entry systems, who have pulled up to refuel. Once they go to leave, after paying, they have been either unable to open their doors or not been able to start the ignition – but the problems stop as soon as the cars are pushed off the forecourt.

Martyn Lamb, 54, of Haxby said he started to experience problems two months ago after filling up his Ford Focus.

“This is the only place I am having this problem,” he said.

“It lets me in, but then I get a display on the dashboard saying ‘key not detected’.

“The first time it happened to me, I didn’t know what to do.

“Eventually I got the car started, but it was more by accident after trying a lot of things.”

Mr Lamb said the problem had happened “without fail” every time he had visited the petrol station over the past two months.

“They must have done something at the garage,” he said.

A spokesman for Tesco said the problem had been happening for six weeks and it seemed to be affecting engine immobilisers only at the Clifton Moor garage.

He said the company was investigating and carrying out equipment checks, but there had been no changes in machinery and the cause was not immediately obvious.

A delivery driver from Shipton-by-Beningbrough, who did not want to be named, said he had seen at least eight cars with the problem in the past week alone.

He said: “I fuel up there once a day and have been stuck behind about eight cars on different occasions that have broken down at the pumps. They either won’t start or the key fob won’t work and the vehicle has completely locked down when they are under the petrol station canopy.

“I had to push one woman’s car off the forecourt and clear of the canopy and then it worked fine. It seems that Tesco just don’t know what’s causing it.

“When I talked to the girls in the kiosk about the problem, they said it had been happening a lot and I have reported it to the store manager.”

A spokesman for Tesco said: “We are still looking into this but it remains a complete mystery to us why it’s happening.”

Have you encountered such problems, at Clifton Moor or elsewhere? Phone our newsdesk on 01904 567131 or email newsdesk@thepress.co.uk