Almost £200,000 of fuel stolen from UK forecourts every day since Iran war began
UK drivers have stolen almost £200,000 of fuel from petrol stations on average every day since the Iran war broke out and sent prices soaring, according to industry analysis.
Incidents of fuel being taken from forecourts without payment have risen by a fifth in the five months since 28 February, figures from Forecourt Eye suggest.
The conflict in the Middle East severely disrupted oil supplies across the region, triggering a rise in wholesale prices and subsequent increase in costs at the pump in the UK.
Forecourt Eye said the value of the stolen fuel is estimated to have risen by 48% compared with the five months before the war - to reach an estimated daily average of £194,000.
The fuel theft prevention company added petrol stations are reporting an increase in "abuse, intimidation and violence from frustrated customers".
The figures are based on a representative sample of 550 forecourts, comparing the five months prior to the outbreak with the five months after it started, and extrapolated to the UK's 8,359 forecourts.
The number of incidents recorded at the forecourts in the sample equates to 2,872 daily incidents on average at forecourts across the UK in the months after war began, up from around 2,400.
They include people driving off without an attempt to pay, and people claiming they have no way to pay after filling their vehicle.
The volume of stolen fuel rose by 24% - up from an estimated 87,000 litres to 108,900 litres a day across all forecourts.
In response, Forecourt Eye said it would partner with facial recognition company Facewatch to offer more than 2,000 retailers free access to crime reporting technology from the autumn.
Read the full story at BBC ↗
Fuel theft from UK petrol stations has risen measurably since late February. Industry data from Forecourt Eye, analysing 550 representative forecourts and extrapolating across the UK's 8,359 stations, shows the daily value of stolen fuel at approximately £194,000 in the five months following the conflict's onset, compared to an estimated £131,000 in the preceding five months. The number of recorded incidents increased from roughly 2,400 to 2,872 daily. Volume rose from an estimated 87,000 to 108,900 litres daily. These thefts include both drive-offs without payment and claims of inability to pay after fuelling. Petrol stations have reported accompanying increases in customer abuse and intimidation. The disruption to Middle East oil supplies elevated wholesale prices, which transferred to UK pump prices. In response, a partnership between Forecourt Eye and facial recognition company Facewatch will offer crime-reporting technology to over 2,000 retailers from autumn.
Read the full story at BBC ↗
UK drivers have stolen almost £200,000 of fuel from petrol stations on average every day since the Iran war broke out and sent prices soaring, according to industry analysis.
Incidents of fuel being taken from forecourts without payment have risen by a fifth in the five months since 28 February, figures from Forecourt Eye suggest.
The conflict in the Middle East severely disrupted oil supplies across the region, triggering a rise in wholesale prices and subsequent increase in costs at the pump in the UK.
Forecourt Eye said the value of the stolen fuel is estimated to have risen by 48% compared with the five months before the war - to reach an estimated daily average of £194,000.
The fuel theft prevention company added petrol stations are reporting an increase in "abuse, intimidation and violence from frustrated customers".
The figures are based on a representative sample of 550 forecourts, comparing the five months prior to the outbreak with the five months after it started, and extrapolated to the UK's 8,359 forecourts.
The number of incidents recorded at the forecourts in the sample equates to 2,872 daily incidents on average at forecourts across the UK in the months after war began, up from around 2,400.
They include people driving off without an attempt to pay, and people claiming they have no way to pay after filling their vehicle.
The volume of stolen fuel rose by 24% - up from an estimated 87,000 litres to 108,900 litres a day across all forecourts.
In response, Forecourt Eye said it would partner with facial recognition company Facewatch to offer more than 2,000 retailers free access to crime reporting technology from the autumn.
Read the full story at BBC ↗
Fuel theft incidents at UK petrol stations increased by 20% in the five months after 28 February compared to the preceding five months The estimated daily value of stolen fuel rose to £194,000, a 48% increase from the prior period The volume of stolen fuel increased from 87,000 litres to 108,900 litres daily across UK forecourts Incidents recorded at sampled forecourts equate to approximately 2,872 daily incidents across all UK forecourts, up from around 2,400 Middle East conflict disrupted oil supplies and triggered wholesale price rises that increased UK pump prices Petrol stations report increases in abuse, intimidation and violence from frustrated customers Analysis is based on data from 550 representative forecourts extrapolated to the UK's 8,359 forecourts Forecourt Eye and Facewatch are partnering to offer facial recognition crime-reporting technology to retailers from autumn
Read the full story at BBC ↗
- Fuel theft from UK petrol stations has increased by 20% since late February, with an estimated £194,000 stolen daily
- The value of stolen fuel has risen 48% compared to the five-month period before the conflict, driven by elevated wholesale prices following Middle East disruption
- Theft incidents average 2,872 daily across UK forecourts, up from 2,400, with incidents including both drive-offs and false claims of inability to pay
- Petrol stations report increased customer abuse and intimidation alongside the rise in fuel theft
- Forecourt Eye and Facewatch are partnering to offer facial recognition crime-reporting technology to over 2,000 retailers