Garages are rocked by soaring petrol thefts

The number of petrol thefts from forecourts across the Midlands has soared by almost 28 per cent, with increasing fuel prices believed to be behind the rise.

Police revealed thieves are putting stolen number plates on their cars to steal petrol and avoid detection from surveillance cameras.

West Midlands Police investigated 2,974 thefts of petrol, known as bilkings, between April and August this year, according to a Freedom of Information request. This compares to 2,331 thefts during the same period 12 months ago.

Officers have launched a string of covert and high-visibility patrols in a bid to tackle the problem, which has been made worse in light of rising fuel prices.

The average cost of a litre of unleaded petrol is now 133.6p and 141.1p for diesel.

Read the full story in the Express & Star.