Petrol thefts 'on the rise'
Date: 22/07/2008 12:00:00
Thieves are turning to stealing petrol from private cars and commercial vehicles as the price of UK fuel continues to rise.
The Burton Mail reports incidents in Staffordshire are soaring, with police investigating more cases of 'bilking', where customers drive away from forecourts without paying.
According to the paper, thieves are also siphoning petrol from privately owned and commercial vehicles, with the rise recorded between April and June.
Quoted by the Burton Mail, sergeant Jim Mills of Staffordshire Police said: "As well as causing real financial hardship and inconvenience to crime victims, people who steal fuel are placing themselves in great danger as petrol and diesel are extremely flammable."
Drivers concerned about damage and loss of fuel from thefts should check with their
car insurance providers to see what level of cover they have against such incidents.
BBC Radio 1 also recently said RAC figures show there have been a doubling in the number of cars it has attended which have had all their fuel drained by thieves.