Fight against forecourt criminals

The problem of forecourt crime - involving drive off incidents, deception, fraud and theft - has grown in the Wakefield District in the last two years. Figures show that from November 2010 to October this year there were 535 offences compared with 386 incidents in the same period the previous year.

Now a scheme is being set up in the Wakefield district to tackle non-payment at petrol stations and filling stations across the area are being asked to support the campaign to be launched tomorrow at Wakefield Town Hall.

The scheme is a joint initiative between West Yorkshire Police and the British Oil Security Syndicate (BOSS), an independent not-for-profit trade organisation campaigning to reduce forecourt crime.

It involves garages signing up to a special protocol designed to speed up the recording and reporting of forecourt crime by garages who are given a single point of contact within the police division to liaise with during investigations.

Det Insp Steve Norman said: “This partnership provides a commitment from Wakefield District Police to work with petrol retailers to do all we can to catch and prosecute fuel thieves, whilst providing a safer environment for their staff. Forecourts are often seen as a soft target by criminals. Hopefully this initiative will change that perception.”

John Turtle, regional co-ordinator of BOSS, said last night: “Drive Offs and No Means of Payment incidents cost the UK petrol industry more than £22 million last year with drive off incidents accounting for around £15.5 million of that.

“By building successful partnerships with local police, petrol retailers and other agencies in delivering initiatives like this, we can significantly deter and prevent the level of these crimes on petrol forecourts.”