Gas theft at service stations hits report excessive whereas costs on the pump proceed to rise

FUEL thefts at gasoline stations have reached report highs as pump costs soar.

Drive-off raids — during which motorists refill and drive away with out paying — are up 61 p.c thus far this 12 months in comparison with the identical interval in 2021, the Petrol Retailers Affiliation says.

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PRA chief government Gordon Balmer mentioned the variety of thefts was “by way of the roof” with 10 incidents being reported each day.

Retailers would lose £25m if present drive-off charges maintain for the subsequent 12 months, he claimed.

He added: “It’s a very powerful subject proper now – and it’s rising.

“You’re taking a look at practically £41million in prices to the business from gasoline that’s both stolen by way of drive-offs or folks don’t have the means to pay.

He added: “With the stress on the police lately, many police forces have mentioned, ‘It’s not a felony offence.

“‘It’s a civil offence, so it’s important to cope with it.

“‘And if the precise worth of the crime is lower than £100 we won’t ship anybody to the police’.

“This was raised by me personally on the Dwelling Workplace.”