Fuel theft on the rise again

Now there are calls for petrol pumps to move to pre-payment as one forecourt owner complained of dealing with three to four cases a week of people either driving off or pleading for time to pay for forgetting their wallets or credit cards.

Figures released by West Midlands Police show the number of cases of 'bilking', as fuel theft is known, is going up again in the Black Country.

There were 1,685 cases in Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton in 2013/14 compared with 1,612 the year before.

Fuel price rises have previously been blamed for an increase in the number of thefts from forecourts.

West Mercia Police, however, recorded 587 thefts from petrol stations between April 2013 to April this year, down from 593 for the same period in 2012,

But the total number of fuel thefts from businesses, farms and lay-bys between April 2013/14 increased to 1,932, compared with 1,910 the previous year. Between April 2011 and 2012 the figure was 2,121.

Shailesh Parekh, aged 49, has run petrol stations since 1992 and owns the Texaco sites in Stafford Road, Wolverhampton and Lichfield Street, Willenhall.

He said: "It's got to the stage where in Willenhall I have signs up saying we can set a limit on the amount that pump will dispense.

"I think it would be better if the whole industry just went to pre-pay.

"There are different types of theft. Some use a stolen number plate or an unregistered car. Others might claim to have no money and no-one who can bring it to them but we tell them they cannot leave unless they make arrangements to pay.

"This time of year and other school holidays are particularly bad. In the summer or in Easter it is as though some people think they can get the cost of their journey to go on holiday back."

West Mercia Superintendent James Tozer, said: "West Mercia Police have worked hard to tackle and reduce fuel theft.

"Thieves see the rise in fuel costs as an opportunity, so we have improved CCTV and the reporting of such offences to take action and to identify offenders.

"However, we are not complacent and will work alongside our crime prevention officers across the force to drive the decline of fuel theft further."

Staffordshire Police was unable to release figures for the number of thefts from filling stations but said there were 209 fuel thefts from vehicles between April 2013/14 compared with 241 for the same period in 2012 and 240 in 2011.

There were 12 thefts from farm buildings and 10 from rural commercial premises in the last year, as well as three thefts from warehouses and two thefts from builders yards.

There were also 33 thefts from homes in 2013/14 compared to 60 in 2012/13.

In September last year, Tadas Prismantas (corr) was given a suspended sentence after driving off from 21 petrol stations across the Black Country without paying during a seven-month stealing spree.

The 34-year-old of of Kendrick House, Green Lane, West Bromwich was given an 18-week sentence suspended for 18 months and banned from driving for 18 months.

Prismantas used two cars – both with the same stolen number plate – when he took fuel worth hundreds of pounds from garages throughout the region.

Meanwhile, Brett Hill stole almost £200 worth of fuel in three visits to Tesco's petrol station in Hagley Road, Oldswinford.

Hill, aged 37, of Caledonia, Quarry Bank, was only identified for taking the fuel from the station when he tried to steal for a fourth time.

He was handed a 12-month community order and told to pay £177.69 compensation to the petrol station.