00:00Fuel theft is putting pressure on petrol stations across the West Midlands.
00:05Every unpaid tank becomes a business cost alongside wages, energy, security and
00:09wholesale fuel. Industry representatives say those pressures must either be
00:14absorbed or reflected in pump prices. The figures suggest the problem has grown
00:19since the Iran war disrupted all supplies. Full Court I estimates fuel
00:24worth £194,000 is now stolen across Britain every day. A 48% increase compared
00:32with the previous five months. Recorded incidents have risen by a fifth reaching
00:362,872 each day. They include deliberate drive-offs and people who fill their
00:42vehicles before claiming they have no way to pay. The volume of missing fuel has also
00:47increased by almost a quarter reaching around 108,900 litres daily.
00:54Here in the West Midlands police provide security guidance for forecourt operators
00:59and promote the forecourt watch scheme which encourages garages to work
01:03together, share information and help identify repeat offenders.
01:08From the autumn more than 2,000 forecourts will be offered three crime reporting
01:14technology. But retailers must still absorb lost stock and the expense of cameras,
01:20reporting systems and staff protection. Until theft fails, those costs will continue
01:25feeding into prices paid by honest West Midlands customers.
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