Drivers have stolen nearly £200,000 of fuel from forecourts every day since start of Iran war amid rocketing pump prices

Drivers have stolen nearly £200,000 of fuel from forecourts every day since start of Iran war amid rocketing pump prices - Get your news delivered straight to you by 7am - sign up to our new Morning Mail newsletter for FREE - See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Drivers have stolen £200,000 worth of fuel each day from UK forecourts amid a hike in prices sparked by the Iran war. Thefts have soared by 20 per cent in the five months since the conflict began on February 28, compared with the previous five months. The value of stolen fuel rose by 48 per cent over the same period, reaching an estimated daily average of £194,000 across the UK's 8,359 forecourts. For first-time offenders, there was a 23 per cent increase in the number of incidents and a 26 per cent rise in the volume of fuel stolen, compared with 17 per cent and 20 per cent respectively among repeat offenders. The figures are based on reports by a representative sample of 550 forecourts, analysed by fuel theft prevention company Forecourt Eye. They include drive-offs, when there is no attempt to pay, and no means of payment incidents, when a customer fills up and claims they have no way to pay. It comes as the average price of a litre of petrol climbed to 160p on Friday, around 27p more than before the conflict and representing a three-and-a-half year high. The average price of diesel is around 37p per litre higher than prior to the war, at 179p. Drivers have stolen £200,000 worth of fuel each day from UK forecourts amid a hike in prices sparked by the Iran war A motorist is seen filling fuel into a plastic container at a petrol station. Thefts have soared by 20 per cent in the five months since the conflict began on February 28, compared with the previous five months British filling stations reported the ongoing US-Iran conflict has triggered a wave of forecourt crime more severe than the fallout from Russia's war with Ukraine, with station owners describing an increasingly 'brazen' atmosphere. Drivers of high-end luxury vehicles, such as Ferraris and Mercedes, are among the cars that have been seen speeding off without payment - sometimes even taunting staff with a wave as they depart. Beyond individual opportunists, organised criminal gangs have reportedly used transit vans equipped with large internal canisters to siphon fuel, effectively acting as 'mobile petrol stations' that resell the stolen goods at a discount from roadside laybys. Forecourt Eye managing director, Michelle Henchoz, said: 'As offending becomes more organised and more sophisticated, operators need joined-up technology that helps them protect both their forecourt and their convenience store.' Gordon Balmer, executive director of the Petrol Retailers Association, which represents independent forecourts, said its members are 'reporting increasing levels of abuse and aggression towards colleagues who are simply doing their jobs and have no influence over the price displayed on the forecourt'. He added: 'Bringing together technologies that help retailers prevent crime, manage incidents and support police investigations is a positive step for the industry.' Ben Lawrence, a director at Lawrences Garages, which owns five petrol stations situated in Norfolk and Hampshire, said fuel thefts were historically often carried out by people involved in other crimes, but rises in the cost of living mean this is no longer the case. He said there is a 'misconception' that all forecourts featuring branding from energy giants such as BP and Shell are operated by those companies, rather than smaller businesses, so some drivers believe it 'doesn't matter' when they fail to pay. Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Musandam, Oman 'It does matter to us,' he added. 'When someone drives off (after taking fuel worth) £80-£90, it's hitting us, not the oil companies. We've already purchased it.' Under the Theft Act 1978, driving off is a criminal offense carrying penalties of significant fines or up to two years in prison. Despite the legal stakes, many retailers have ceased reporting incidents to authorities, as the relatively low value of each theft, typically around £50, results in it being categorized similarly to minor shoplifting. Conviction rates remain minimal as a Forecourt Trader study revealed that the majority of police forces fail to identify suspects in most cases. Official data from the previous year confirms that 'drive-off' thefts surged by nearly 50 per cent in just 12 months, resulting in millions of pounds in losses for the industry. Europe is facing an imminent energy crisis with gas stocks plummeting to historical lows as a result of the war in Iran. Energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie has warned storage sites across the continent are just above 50 per cent full, which is a very low level for this time of year. Previously, storage sites were at 90 per cent capacity, but now, Europe is looking at entering the winter months with only 75 per cent capacity. Wood Mackenzie's vice president of gas research, Massimo Di Odoardo, cautioned that low storage levels and heightened competition for liquefied natural gas (LNG) would result in higher energy prices in the near future. He said: 'Low European inventories, strong Asian demand and limited new LNG supply growth almost guarantee elevated prices through this winter and into 2027.' LNG imports into Europe have slowed sharply since the outbreak of the Iran war. Imports are on track to total just 6.3 million metric tons in July, the lowest since September 2024, according to Kpler. When the Strait of Hormuz briefly opened following the US-Iran interim peace deal in April, many hoped that Qatar, which accounted for around a fifth of global LNG supply before the conflict, would quickly restore exports. But the renewed blockade of the strait in recent weeks amid escalating US-Iran tensions has dashed any hopes of that. The European market is thus becoming increasingly alarmed by the combination of low inventories, weak imports and a deteriorating supply outlook.