‘Fuel thieves think they’ve got away from my petrol station – then I chase them in my car’

‘Fuel thieves think they’ve got away from my petrol station – then I chase them in my car’ Exclusive data shared with The Independent shows thefts and motorists declaring no means of payment for diesel at UK forecourts rose by a fifth in a year - Bookmark Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in The boss of a petrol station hit by a rise in thefts in the wake of record price rises has told how she chases thieves for up to 20 miles in her car in a bid to get them caught. Samantha Sealey, who runs Berkeley Service Station on the A38 in Gloucestershire, says bilking incidents have increased to “once or twice a week” with thieves taking off with up to £120 of fuel at a time. So frustrated by the brazen attitude of the criminals, Ms Sealey told The Independent she often dashes out in her own vehicle to pursue the culprits, sometimes travelling as far as Bristol or Gloucester, to feed there whereabouts to police. It comes as exclusive data provided to The Independent by Forecourt Eye shows the number of thefts and drivers declaring no means of payment for diesel at 550 UK forecourts rose 21 per cent across a 35-day period in September and the start of October, compared to the same period last year. For unleaded petrol it increased 16 per cent. The war in Iran has disrupted oil supplies to across the world, bringing up wholesale prices and subsequent increases in costs at the pump. The latest figures from the government show the average UK retail pump price for diesel reached 199.5p this week, surpassing the previous record of 199.22p in July 2022, while the RAC said average sales passed £2 a litre on Friday. The average cost of unleaded has reached 174.88p, the highest price since August 2022. Ms Sealey, who said her business makes just 3p to 6p per litre on selling fuel, said: “It’s all types of people and vehicles we see coming in to steal. Last month I had a pretty much brand new Range Rover pull in which took off with around £80 of fuel. “Sometimes they use a taped number plate which my staff obviously look out for. Other times the driver will keep the engine running as the passenger fills up and then jumps in the car. They often wear black hoodies. They are so blase when they drive off, people really don’t care. “I’ve on previous times got in a car myself and followed them at a distance so I can report it to the police, I can say where they’re going. I’ve gone as far as Bristol or Gloucester. It’s hard because I’m a single female and it’s normally two or three blokes in the car. Sometimes the police will catch up to the back of me and say ‘we have got them’. “It’s to show them that people will find you, people will follow you and you shouldn’t be doing this. It’s just to show that I care, really. At the end of it, it’s my livelihood. If I lose that £80 a week, I’m not paying myself that week.” Like other petrol stations, Ms Sealey has taken steps to tackle the rise in thefts with the introduction of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) to flag any suspicious numberplates. Further security would be a scanner that checks the numberplate with the vehicle, but this, Ms Sealey said, would cost £20,000. She has also considered card-only pumps, but this could reduce custom inside the shop, where she sells local produce and sandwiches. She said: “Life is hard, the prices have gone up and we try our best to absorb them as much as we can. But stealing isn’t the answer.” Ms Sealey’s situation is reflected nationwide, with industry bosses telling The Independent they have seen a sharp rise in fuel theft. The Petrol Retailers Association said it was concerned that a proportion of thefts are committed by first-time offenders, illustrating wider financial pressures being felt by households. It executive director Gordon Balmer said: “The increase in pump prices has been matched by a rise in motorists driving off without paying or claiming they have no means to pay. While we recognise the financial pressures many households are facing, this behaviour is having a direct and immediate impact on forecourt operators. “This is not a victimless crime. When fuel is not paid for, the cost does not disappear, it is absorbed by the retailer and ultimately adds to the wider cost of running a forecourt.” Forecourt Eye, which is a fuel theft prevention company, said its data also showed an upward trend in the number of motorists declaring they had no means of payment after filling up their vehicle. For diesel, it rose 40 per cent, while for unleaded it went up 32 per cent. A spokesperson said: “Drivers declaring they have no means to pay after filling up has been a consistent rising trend since February. While there are genuine cases of no means to pay, we are seeing an increase in this being abused.” At the end of this month, chancellor John Healey will make a decision on extending the current 5p cut in fuel duty beyond the end of this year as part of his first Budget. He told ITV News last month: “I’m conscious of the pressure this is putting on people, on businesses as well as people at the pumps, and this is a government that will do what we can to give people a bit of breathing space. “But those are decisions that I will make in the round at the Budget when I announce it in a month today.” [Image text:] Food HotSnacksCoffee Sea Meal D