Devon and Cornwall Police has stated that it will no longer investigate instances where motorists drive away from a petrol station without paying, unless there was clear proof of criminal intent. It has advised petrol stations to pursue civil recovery of debt.

The South West-based force indicated a need to repurpose resources to more serious crimes, citing government cuts as the reason for its declaration. It believes in most instances, a motorist driving off without paying is a genuine mistake, following which most motorists return to pay.

However, the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) claims the number of fuel theft cases, or 'bilking', has reportedly increased over the last five years as the price of fuel has risen.

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Brian Madderson, PRA Chairman, said: “Now that police are broadcasting this as a low priority, this will no doubt encourage thieves further.

“Forecourts are being urged to be proactive and toughen up their security, however smaller independent garages who don’t have the financial resources will still largely be at risk."

Devon and Cornwall Police justified the decision, and encouraged garages to make use of civil courts to recover money owed from individuals.

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Assistant Chief Constable Paul Netherton said: “Businesses need to use the civil recovery options already available to recover their losses. We will always target and thoroughly investigate repeat offenders and incidents where vulnerability is identified. We will also continue to offer prevention advice to reduce the risk of these incidents occurring.”

Bodmin Moor Services’ owner and PRA member, Clive Sheppard, commented, “This new initiative seems very ill-considered, it undermines the credibility of the Police and ultimately puts the public at risk as we are seemingly being encouraged to tackle crime ourselves.”

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