Petrol theft rises nearly 25% since start of year, new data shows

New data given to ITV News shows theft of petrol and diesel is up by almost a quarter over the last couple of months.

Some criminals are filling up more than one tank at a time.

Now industry insiders are warning that it’s creating an increasing public danger.

Security expert Michelle Henchoz of Forecourt Eye said: “I think driving into a forecourt, headlights on, filling up the car, leaving the engine running, leaving the door open, wearing certain face coverings, you know, baseball caps.

“And then when someone is filling up a vehicle, or actually filling up cans in the backseat and then when they’re leaving the forecourt, you’ve basically got a travelling petrol station which can be a really dangerous thing for other people on the road.”

Rising petrol prices don’t matter much to an increasing number of drivers – they’re not paying.

As fuel prices surge amid disruption caused by the war in Iran, the petrol industry fears that many motorists see this as a victimless crime affecting only hyper-wealthy fuel conglomerates.

Rachael King is a forecourt manager in Gloucestershire running three forecourts for a small family business.

She told us: “The other thing you’ll see is the passenger filling up rather than the driver, therefore the driver can stay in their seat.

“And as soon as they finish, they can drive off.

“Maybe trying to use a pump that’s the furthest away on a forecourt, or the other option is a pump nearest to the road cause it’s easiest to get away.”

Figures given to ITV News exclusively by the security firm Forecourt Eye show a 23% rise in forecourt fuel thefts, from 9,089 incidents in January and February, to 11,170 in March and April, with 432,409 litres stolen in that period.

With an increasing number of automatic number plate recognition cameras, forecourts are doing more to stop fuel theft.

But they say there’s little they can do to stop the relentless price rises that are making this problem worse.