Surge in Petrol Theft Amid Rising Fuel Prices
Petrol theft has increased by 62% compared to the previous year, according to recent data compiled for the BBC. One forecourt owner reported losses of approximately £2,000 weekly across his five sites due to drive-offs.
Information from fuel theft recovery company Pay My Fuel coincides with reports from petrol and diesel retailers of increased abuse toward staff, attributed to elevated fuel prices driven by the US-Israel war involving Iran.
Since the onset of the conflict, the cost to fill a typical family car with petrol has risen by £14, while a diesel tank has increased by about £27.
The government emphasized that fuel thieves must face the full force of the law, and police forces stated they are adopting proactive measures to address the issue.
Forecourt Owner Reports Increased Drive-Offs
Josh, a petrol retailer operating five garages in southern England, indicated experiencing about five drive-offs per week at each location, up from one or two previously.
He provided CCTV footage to the BBC showing drive-offs occurring at various times and involving different amounts of fuel.
One clip shows a motorbike with two riders stopping to fill £14.97 worth of fuel before leaving without payment. Another depicts a white van filling £151.53 worth of fuel during morning rush hour and driving off. A third incident involves a white Porsche SUV filling £75.15 worth of fuel in the afternoon and failing to pay.
Josh noted that while some drive-offs involve individuals unable to pay, most are deliberate thefts.
"There just seems to be a sort of public acceptance now that theft is okay," said Josh, who requested anonymity due to abuse faced by forecourt staff.
"I'm sure there is a percentage of people that are doing it out of desperation, but the large majority is organised, pre-planned."
Data Highlights Rising Frequency and Value of Drive-Offs
Pay My Fuel's data indicates the average number of weekly drive-offs per forecourt increased from 2.1 in March 2025 to 3.4 in March this year, marking a 62% rise.
The company, which supports 1,400 forecourts in recovering stolen funds, also reported a 46% increase in the average value of a drive-off during the same period.
"It's a lot worse," said Ian Wolfenden, director of Pay My Fuel.
"An average drive-off for one of our customers used to be £56, and now it's gone up to £67. So if you consider they're losing nearly £70 every two days, it's not insignificant."
Wolfenden added the issue is three to four times more severe in less affluent areas, naming east and south east London, Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds, and Birmingham as notable hotspots.
Industry and Police Responses
Gordon Balmer, executive director of the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), attributed the increase in fuel theft to rising prices since the war began.
He stated, "Some of that theft is obviously organised crime, but other instances are people who said they had forgotten their wallet or purse."
"Some of that could be due to the cost of living."
Superintendent Lisa Maslen, head of the National Business Crime Centre, described fuel theft as placing a significant and unacceptable strain on retailers, financially and operationally.
She said, "Police forces are taking a proactive approach to tackling this issue, working to identify offenders, disrupt repeat behaviour and ensure those responsible are held to account."
Police efforts include enhanced collaboration with fuel retailers and cost recovery agencies to detect patterns and target repeat offenders.
A government spokesperson stated,
"Fuel theft undermines businesses and their workers. These thieves must face the full force of the law."
The spokesperson urged witnesses of such crimes to report them to the police.
Profiteering Claims and Staff Abuse
Although fuel prices decreased slightly over the weekend, the RAC reported petrol remains 19.2% higher and diesel 34.5% higher than at the start of the war.
Balmer noted these increases have been particularly challenging for forecourts that purchase fuel daily and must adjust prices immediately, leading to some abuse directed at staff.
The PRA criticized the government's accusations of price gouging and profiteering as "frustrating" and unhelpful, according to Balmer.
Last month, the government indicated the competition watchdog was prepared to intervene if evidence of price gouging emerged.
Retailers responded negatively to what they described as "inflammatory language," while Josh observed that public perception has been affected.
"Our staff are seeing quite a lot of abuse," Josh said.
"They've had people calling them thieves, shouting at them, it's quite intimidating for these guys - they don't come to work to be shouted at."
More than half of the fuel pump price (55%) is tax, and Balmer emphasized that retailers operate on very slim margins.
The government condemned any abuse against workers simply performing their duties as completely unacceptable.
