Motorists pulling up at self-service garages in Padua now have the opportunity to stock up on sex toys along with their petrol.

Agip and Esso stations in the Arcella area of the city have installed machines bearing the image of a silhouetted naked girl that distribute items such as vibrating rings and condoms as well as hardcore DVDs to passing drivers.

The owners of the garages explained that the new initiative was not their idea but that they rent out space to a specialist company who adds the machines to the lines of pumps.

Drivers who want to buy DVDs for over-18s at the garage-cum-sex shops have to insert an identity document into a special slot in the automated machines.