Gasoline spilled into a Langley City creek when a thief drilled a hole into a bus's gas tank on Saturday.

City firefighters were called out when a small private school bus was leaking fuel near 206A Street and Duncan Way, said deputy fire chief Bob Scott.

"It appears it was an attempted theft of gas," said Scott.

Someone had drilled a hole into the gas tank.

"This isn't the first time we've had a call like this," said Scott. With City engineering staff, firefighters plugged the leak and used floating booms to collect gas from a nearby creek.