German leaves friend as deposit at petrol station

BERLIN, May 18 (Reuters) A German woman left her friend as a deposit at a gas station because she did not have enough cash to pay for her petrol.

''She didn't have enough money to pay the bill, so her friend stayed behind as a human deposit while she went to withdraw cash,'' said a spokesman for police in the southern town of Muenchberg.

''Unfortunately, the woman did not return,'' the police said.

Two hours after the 20-year-old driver left, the gas station called the police, who interrogated the stranded ''deposit'' before releasing her. Police are investigating the driver on suspicion of fraud.

REUTERS SB RS0953