Financially distressed drivers turn to crime amid fuel crisis
A SURGE in fuel theft across the UK is being driven up by first-time offenders as prices at the pumps continue to rise since the onset of the Iran conflict.
According to new research from Forecourt Eye, approximately 500 fuel stations across Scotland, England and Wales have seen a 10% increase in daily theft incidents, alongside a 15% increase in the volume of fuel that is stolen, since 28 February.
This represented an increase in the value of fuel theft from £8,378 to £10,652, with the volume up from 5,701 litres to 6,565 litres during the time.
Whilst the increase is concerning, Forecourt Eye has said the most striking shift in this behaviour is from the “sharp increase” in first-time offenders. The forecourt security firm said that vehicles that showed no prior history of theft accounted for “a disproportionate share” of the rise.
Forecourt Eye’s research found that the number of first-time offender incidents increased by 15% across Britain, with the volume stolen linked to these incidents up 20%.
This data has been compared with the first 26 days of February, leading up to the outbreak of the US-Israeli conflict in Iran, and comes from the first 26 days of March, when global oil markets reacted sharply to the outbreak of the war and UK fuel prices rose in response.
Additionally, the industry has also reported a significant surge in ‘No Means of Payment’ (NMOP) incidents, where drivers fill up and then inform staff they are unable to pay. Across the 500-site sample, NMOP incidents rose by 22% with the fuel volume in these cases increasing by a significant 37%. In comparison, drive-off thefts, where offenders leave without paying or informing staff, rose by just 6%.
Michelle Henchoz, managing director at Forecourt Eye, said: “The shift since the conflict suggests that fuel theft is becoming less evasive and more visible, with individuals increasingly remaining on-site rather than attempting to flee.
“What we’re seeing is not just more fuel theft, but a different kind of behaviour that shows a clear increase in first-time offenders and in people who aren’t attempting to flee, but instead are declaring they cannot pay.
“The data suggests this may reflect growing financial pressure, with more drivers filling full tanks rather than taking small amounts. It highlights how quickly global events can have a direct and visible impact on everyday life in the UK.
“This shift in behaviour is creating new challenges for petrol station operators, and in particular for front-line staff who are dealing with increasing incidents of aggression where customers are venting their frustration at rising prices at the till.”
