These are the Hull petrol stations being targeted by fuel thieves – Hull Daily Mail
We’ve found out which petrol station has racked up the most thefts this year and what police are doing about it
More than 1,100 people have driven away from petrol stations in Hull and the East Riding without paying for their fuel in the past three years, according to alarming new figures.
Since the start of 2014 to August 30, 2017, 503 people have ‘stolen’ fuel from petrol stations in Hull. When including East Riding, the figure stands at 623.
In the first eight months of this year, 138 people were caught driving off from the pumps in Hull.
Detective Inspector Allison Sweeting of Humberside Police said: “It is our experience that people who drive away from petrol stations without paying for fuel fall into two categories. “In the first instance, there are people who, perhaps due to a moment of absent mindedness, make a genuine mistake.
“Many of these return, often before police intervention, to settle their debt and apologise.
“More serious are deliberate fuel thefts which we take seriously and do investigate, often appealing to the public for witnesses or information to aid our enquiries.”
Humberside Police
The BP Garage in Maybury Road, east Hull, has racked up the highest number of thefts so far this year, with 18 drivers leaving the forecourts without paying.
In total, 44 drive-aways have been reported from BP garages in Hull this year, including the filling station in Maybury Road, as well as ones in Robson Way, Leads Road, Spring Bank West and Chanterlands Avenue.
Other targets in 2017 include Sewell Group with 17, Shell garages with 13, Triangle Garage with 13 and Tesco stores with 11.
In the East Riding, 183 drive offs have been reported to police so far this year.
Sewell Group, which has filling stations in Willerby, Cottingham, Beverley, Bilton, Pocklington and North Ferriby, has seen the highest amount of thefts with 32 recorded this year.
Morrisons petrol stations in Brough, Beverley and Bridlington has racked up 27 this year.
The figures, which were obtained through a Freedom of Information request, have been published just two months after bikers at a west Hull petrol station were told to pay for their fuel first before filling up.
The BP filling station in Spring Bank West made the controversial decision after a rise in the number of drive-offs.
Are you looking for a job? Click here to see our Hull listings
Bikers were singled out because the garage’s CCTV is unable to pick up their vehicles’ registration numbers. The signs have since been taken down.
The rate of petrol thefts so far this year across Hull and East Yorkshire as a whole is significantly higher than last year.
DI Sweeting for Humberside Police is adamant that drivers who drive off deliberately will be investigated and could face prosecution.
She said: “For those who leave a petrol station without paying for fuel, our message is clear – we will investigate and you could face a criminal record for theft.”