Fuel theft across the United Kingdom has surged sharply since the outbreak of the Iran war, with motorists now stealing an estimated £200,000 worth of petrol and diesel from filling stations every day as rising fuel prices continue to bite.
New industry figures released by fuel theft prevention firm Forecourt Eye show that incidents of motorists leaving petrol stations without paying have risen by 20 per cent in the five months since the conflict began on February 28.
The escalation of fighting in the Middle East disrupted global oil supplies, driving up wholesale crude prices and pushing pump prices higher across the UK.
According to the report, the estimated value of stolen fuel has climbed by 48 per cent compared with the five months before the war, reaching an average of £194,000 daily.
The analysis, based on data from 550 representative petrol stations and projected across the UK’s 8,359 forecourts, estimates that about 2,872 fuel theft incidents now occur each day, up from around 2,400 before the conflict.
The report covers motorists who drive away without attempting to pay, as well as those who fill their tanks before claiming they have no means of payment.
It also found that the volume of fuel stolen has increased by 24 per cent, rising from an estimated 87,000 litres to nearly 109,000 litres each day.
Forecourt Eye said the spike in fuel theft has been accompanied by a rise in abuse, intimidation and violence directed at petrol station workers by frustrated customers.
To tackle the growing problem, the company said it would partner with facial recognition technology firm Facewatch to provide more than 2,000 fuel retailers with free crime-reporting technology from the autumn.
Fuel prices peaked in April before easing after the United States and Iran reached a framework agreement aimed at ending the conflict in June.
However, prices have climbed again following the collapse of peace negotiations, with petrol reaching its highest level since 2022.
The latest figures come as Chancellor John Healey warned that the government would closely monitor fuel retailers for any signs of excessive pricing linked to the conflict.
Although the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it found no widespread evidence of price gouging following the outbreak of the war, it is investigating increased fuel margins recorded by two supermarket chains and three independent retailers.
The British Retail Consortium defended retailers, insisting that fierce competition has helped keep prices as low as possible despite higher operating costs, including increased National Insurance contributions, packaging taxes and business rates.
The Petrol Retailers Association has also rejected previous accusations of price gouging, maintaining that retailers are not exploiting motorists despite the sharp rise in global oil prices.
BBC.
