New analysis from Forecourt Eye reveals that the value of stolen fuel in the UK has climbed by 48% since the outbreak of the conflict in Iran on February 28. On average, petrol stations are now losing approximately £194,000 per day to theft, as rising wholesale costs have pushed prices at the pump to their highest levels since 2022.
The data, which extrapolated figures from a sample of 550 sites across the country's 8,359 forecourts, shows that the volume of stolen fuel has risen by 24%, reaching nearly 109,000 litres daily. Beyond financial losses, retailers are reporting an uptick in aggressive behavior, including intimidation and violence directed at staff by frustrated motorists.
Shailesh Parekh, owner of Midlands Motor Fuels, noted that despite extensive surveillance measures, the lack of effective deterrents has left business owners struggling. "There is no deterrent, there is no comeback," Parekh stated, adding that he expects his annual losses to grow as thieves increasingly fill both vehicle tanks and additional containers.
To combat the trend, Forecourt Eye plans to introduce facial recognition technology to over 2,000 retailers this autumn. Meanwhile, law enforcement officials have acknowledged the strain the issue places on both businesses and police resources, emphasizing efforts to identify repeat offenders.
The surge in theft coincides with ongoing political tension regarding fuel pricing. While Chancellor John Healey has promised to monitor for potential price gouging, the Petrol Retailers Association and the British Retail Consortium have defended the industry, attributing high costs to broader economic pressures rather than retailer behavior. The Competition and Markets Authority previously found no evidence of widespread price manipulation, though it continues to review specific margin increases observed earlier this year.
Source: BBC News
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