𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

British motorists are stealing an estimated £200,000 worth of fuel from forecourts every day, a surge directly linked to the onset of the Iran oil crisis.

Analysis by fuel theft prevention firm Forecourt Eye reveals a 20 per cent increase in incidents of fuel taken without payment in the five months following the conflict’s commencement on 28 February, compared with the preceding period.

The escalating pump prices, driven by the ongoing war, have seen the value of stolen fuel jump by 48 per cent over the same timeframe, reaching an average daily total of £194,000 across the UK’s 8,359 forecourts.

First-time offenders accounted for a 23 per cent rise in incidents and a 26 per cent increase in the volume of fuel stolen.

This contrasts with repeat offenders, who saw increases of 17 per cent and 20 per cent respectively.

These figures are derived from reports submitted by a representative sample of 550 forecourts and encompass both ‘drive-offs’ – where no attempt to pay is made – and ‘no means of payment’ incidents, where customers claim an inability to settle their bill.

The average price of a litre of petrol climbed to 160p on Friday.

That was about 27p more than before the conflict, and represented a three-and-a-half year high.

The average price of diesel is about 37p per litre higher than prior to the war, at 179p.

Forecourt Eye is partnering with Facewatch to offer free access to crime reporting technology to its customers, which it said will make it easier to record fuel thefts, shop crime and other illegal incidents.

Users will also have the option of joining a live facial recognition network run by Facewatch to alert them to known offenders.

Forecourt Eye managing director, Michelle Henchoz, said: “As offending becomes more organised and more sophisticated, operators need joined-up technology that helps them protect both their forecourt and their convenience store.”

Gordon Balmer, executive director of the Petrol Retailers Association, which represents independent forecourts, said its members are “reporting increasing levels of abuse and aggression towards colleagues who are simply doing their jobs and have no influence over the price displayed on the forecourt”.

He continued: “Bringing together technologies that help retailers prevent crime, manage incidents and support police investigations is a positive step for the industry.”

Ben Lawrence, a director at Lawrences Garages, which owns five petrol stations situated in Norfolk and Hampshire, said fuel thefts were historically often carried out by people involved in other crimes, but rises in the cost of living mean this is no longer the case.

He told the Press Association there is a “misconception” that all forecourts featuring branding from energy giants such as BP and Shell are operated by those companies, rather than smaller businesses, so some drivers believe it “doesn’t matter” when they fail to pay.

“It does matter to us,” he went on.

“When someone drives off (after taking fuel worth) £80-£90, it’s hitting us, not the oil companies.

“We’ve already purchased it.”