Fuel theft surge prompts new crime reporting tool
Fuel theft at UK forecourts has risen 20% since late February, costing retailers an estimated £70.7 million annually in unpaid fuel. The increase follows higher pump prices after the conflict in Iran, according to data from crime prevention firm Forecourt Eye.
Starting in September, the company will provide 2,000 retailers free access to a new incident reporting tool. Developed with facial recognition provider Facewatch, the platform lets operators create “police-ready” reports for fuel theft and retail crime in one system.
Retailers face rising violence alongside theft
Forecourt Eye’s analysis of 550 sites recorded 189 daily incidents in the five months after 28 February, up from 158 before. That represents a 17.9% increase in unpaid fuel incidents, including drive-offs and motorists claiming they had no means to pay.
The data suggests daily incidents across all 8,350 UK forecourts have climbed from around 2,400 to 2,872. Stolen fuel volume rose 24%, while its estimated daily value jumped 48%, from around £131,000 to £194,000. If sustained, the current rate would equate to approximately £70.7m a year in unpaid fuel value – around £22.9m more than the pre-conflict period.
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Financial losses are not the only issue. Retailers report more abuse, intimidation, and violence from customers, often tied to frustration over high prices. Michelle Henchoz, managing director of Forecourt Eye, said operators want a centralized system to handle unpaid fuel, shop theft, and police reporting.
“As offending grows more organized, operators need technology that protects both their forecourt and convenience store,” she said.
A single platform for crime prevention
The new tool works with Forecourt Eye’s existing automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system, which alerts staff when vehicles linked to past drive-offs enter the site. It also connects to a debt recovery service to reclaim payments from motorists who initially claimed they couldn’t pay.
Nick Fisher, CEO of Facewatch, said the line between fuel crime and retail crime has faded. “Modern forecourts deal with the same prolific offenders, violence, and abuse seen across retail,” he said. The partnership aims to give operators a unified platform to prevent crime, manage investigations, and help police target repeat offenders.
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Fisher noted forecourts could later adopt Facewatch’s live facial recognition, triggering instant police alerts when high-risk offenders are detected. The system would serve as protection against multiple crime types.
The rollout arrives as operators face shifting criminal behavior. Organized groups increasingly target fuel and in-store goods, using tactics common in other retail sectors.
Henchoz said the Facewatch partnership came from customer feedback. “Our customers wanted one place to manage everything,” she said. “This provides that without disrupting their operations.”
