Fuel theft is continuing to surge after the conflict in the Middle East pushed up petrol and diesel pump prices, new data has shown.
Reports of unpaid-for fuel rose by 3% in April, building on a 19% surge in March, according to the British Oil Security Syndicate (BOSS). Both rises were month on month.
The organisation is urging forecourt operators to maintain robust procedures and be aware of suspicious activity, particularly during periods of increased demand and price volatility.
“As forecourts become busier and customer behaviour continues to evolve, preventing fuel-related losses remains a priority for every forecourt operator,” said BOSS executive director Claire Nichol.
“Unpaid fuel reports have continued to rise in recent weeks, so forecourt operators should remain vigilant for unusual activity at the pumps and ensure that customers entering stores pay for fuel.”
BOSS said it continued to monitor trends closely as external economic and geopolitical factors impact both fuel pricing and customer behaviour at forecourts across the UK.
The latest fuel theft comes after the AA found that the average UK petrol pump prices began to come down on 17 April, having peaked at 159.0p a litre on 13 April. They reached 157.3p on 6 May before climbing 0.4p ahead of last weekend.
Diesel prices at the pump peaked at 192.4p on 16 April and were still falling on 8 May, after reaching an average of 188.3p.
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