British petrol stations are facing a sharp increase in fuel theft, with motorists estimated to be taking nearly £200,000 worth of fuel every day without payment as rising pump prices linked to the global oil crisis place additional pressure on consumers.

An analysis by fuel theft prevention company Forecourt Eye found that incidents of fuel taken without payment increased by 20% in the five months following the start of the US aggression against Iran on February 28, compared with the previous five-month period.

The value of stolen fuel also rose significantly during the same period, increasing by 48% to an average daily loss of around £194,000 across the UK’s 8,359 petrol stations.

Forecourt Eye’s analysis showed that first-time offenders accounted for a notable share of the increase, with incidents involving new offenders rising by 23% and the amount of fuel stolen increasing by 26%.

Repeat offenders also recorded increases, with incidents rising by 17% and stolen fuel volumes increasing by 20%.

The figures were compiled from a representative sample of 550 forecourts and encompassed both drive-offs, where motorists departed without attempting payment, and incidents in which customers reported being unable to complete payment.

Source:Websites