Petrol station owners across the UK are facing a sharp rise in fuel theft, with more than £1.2m stolen from forecourts each week. The surge, which has seen a 23% increase since the start of the Iran war in February, is being driven by a mix of organised criminals and opportunistic first-time offenders, including drivers of luxury cars.
Shailesh Parekh, who owns six forecourts in Birmingham, says predicting who will drive off without paying has become impossible. ‘I had a guy all suited and booted do a runner in a Jaguar,’ he said. Thefts cost him more than £40,000 last year, with incidents occurring weekly and sometimes daily. In June, 12 people drove off from one of his stations without paying.
The rise in theft coincides with increasing fuel prices. According to the RAC, petrol rose from 131p to 155p per litre between mid-February and June 2026, while diesel increased from 141p to 176p. Filling a 60-litre tank now costs up to £93 for petrol and £106 for diesel.
Gordon Balmer of the Petrol Retailers Association says ‘first-time offenders’ are becoming more common, often due to rising household costs and opportunism. Despite extensive CCTV coverage, Parekh says reporting thefts is often futile. ‘Half of the runners, we don’t even report them. It’s such a mission,’ he said.
While driving off without payment is a criminal offence, convictions are rare, especially for one-off offenders. Unpaid amounts are often treated as civil debt unless intent is clear. Those convicted face up to two years in prison; one Kent thief was jailed for 16 months in 2024 for stealing from nine forecourts.
