Petrol theft: drivers may be having a bad day, police say

Businesses should report fuel theft so officers can “understand the picture” and “provide preventative support”, she said.

The owners should then use a civil debt recovery route through the British Oil Security Syndicate.

This would ensure they got their money back “within a matter of weeks”, as opposed to “using huge amounts of officer hours to go round and ask people to pay up, because the police’s time isn’t free either”.

The Petrol Retailers Association, whose members run 65% of UK forecourts, has said drive-offs are costing the industry more than £100m a year – about £9,000 per forecourt.

Supt Harrod said fuel theft was going up across Lincolnshire, which was why the force was concentrating on “designing out” a preventable crime.

“We’ve got to be as efficient and effective as we possibly can to drive that crime down across the board,” she added.

Mrs Pilani said she was aware that a police officer had visited the garage last week, though she and her husband were not in at the time.

She welcomed the force’s support, but questioned how they would prevent thefts in future.

She was confident the motorists who were driving off had not forgotten to pay.

“We are giving them [the police] the proof of the person driving off,” she added. “They just need to see the CCTV recording and call the people to come and pay.”

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