Police chief: Make drivers pay for fuel in advance to stop thefts

Chief Constable Simon Cole claimed fuel retailers have the ability to ensure all drivers are asked to pre-pay before filling up
PA
Olivia Tobin5 November 2018
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Drivers should have to pay for their fuel in advance to stop thefts, a police chief has said.

Chief Constable Simon Cole, of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), said the move could stop drivers making off without paying from stations, or “bilking”.

He claimed petrol firms had made it too easy for drivers to leave without paying, because they wanted to entice drivers into their shops.

In comments reported by the Daily Telegraph, he said: "The petroleum industry could design out bilking in 30 seconds by making people pay upfront, which is what they do in other countries.

"They don't, because the walk in their shops is part of their business offer."

The number of drive-off thefts has reached around 25,000 per year, with some forces reporting rises of up to 40 per cent year on year, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Some forces have decided it is not practical to investigate thefts under £50.

Mr Cole, Chief Constable for Leicestershire Police, backed NPCC head Sara Thornton, who recently warned forces could not take on all "desirable and deserving" issues, such as logging misogyny reports even when no offence has been committed.

"However laudable it may or may not be to record misogyny, we cannot do it at present without additional resources," Mr Cole said.

The number of arrests in England and Wales has halved in a decade, while recorded crime is rising across a number of categories including homicide and knife-related offences.

Force leaders point to a 19 per cent real-terms decrease in funding and a fall of more than 20,000 in officer numbers since 2010.

"The challenge is what efficiencies can we identify, what processes can we make leaner, what processes can we stop doing that enable you to deliver with one million fewer operational hours," Mr Cole added.

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