Rise in drivers stealing fuel from forecourts

Published on Saturday 26 April 2008 19:48

AS if the threat of running out of supplies wasn't bad enough, petrol stations are being hit with an unprecedented rise in motorists filling up and driving off without paying.

Police forces across Scotland are now working together to try to catch the thieves, many of whom are operating a "steal-to-order" policy. The problem, which is known as "bilking", has long been a problem for petrol stations but with the rise in fuel prices, criminal gangs are now targeting forecourts.

The gangs, many of which use stolen vehicles in order to fool CCTV cameras, will carry out up to a dozen "missions" on one night before siphoning out the fuel into a large tank or numerous smaller barrels.

They will then sell off the stolen petrol to other motorists for a fraction of the official cost. Last year in the UK, almost 29m worth of fuel was stolen – a rise of 20% – and in the first quarter of this year that figure is said to have already "soared noticeably".

According to the British Oil Security Syndicate, "drive-offs" in Scotland cost the country's petrol retailers at least 2m last year, with a further 600,000 being lost to motorists who fill up and then claim not to have any money.

But the industry is fighting back and it has introduced a variety of measures to try to reduce incidences of "bilking".

Among these ideas is one called "Forecourt Watch" which operated across Scotland from Ayrshire to the Grampians.

It involves supplying retailers with a "kit" that includes advice on using high-visibility CCTV cameras and installing a number-plate detection device to deter potential thefts.

The registration cameras have already led to a series of arrests.