Almost £200,000 of fuel stolen from UK forecourts every day since Iran war began

UK drivers have stolen nearly £200,000 worth of fuel from petrol stations each day on average since the Iran war escalated and sent prices soaring, according to industry analysis.

Forecourt Eye figures reveal that incidents of fuel being taken without payment have risen by 20% in the five months since February 28. The conflict in the Middle East disrupted oil supplies, leading to higher wholesale prices and subsequent increases at the pump across the UK.

The value of stolen fuel is estimated to have increased by 48% compared to the five months prior to the war, reaching an estimated daily average of £194,000. Petrol stations are also reporting a rise in "abuse, intimidation and violence from frustrated customers." The analysis is based on data from 550 forecourts, extrapolated to the UK's 8,359 forecourts, indicating approximately 2,872 daily theft incidents across the country.

The volume of stolen fuel has also climbed by 24%, from an estimated 87,000 liters to 108,900 liters daily. In response, Forecourt Eye plans to collaborate with facial recognition company Facewatch, offering over 2,000 retailers free access to crime-reporting technology starting in the autumn.

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abuse, intimidation and violence from frustrated customers