Tackling petrol theft and keeping crime in check

If you’d passed the Advantage One office on Thursday morning, you might have spotted me trimming the hedges outside There’s something to be said for direct action: don’t let it grow out of control, and don’t wait for someone else to do it. (We’re sure the council has other things to deal with.) And that’s exactly the spirit we carry into our day-to-day operations.

After that bit of gardening, it was off to the dentist with Esme in tow. She looked worried at first (not another trip to the vet?!), but soon relaxed when she realised it was me getting the check-up, not her. There’s even a photo of her keeping a concerned eye on me while I’m reclined in the chair. Just back from my appointment, and still smiling.

But out on the frontlines, petrol theft continues to be a growing concern, and we’ve been speaking to everyone from retailers to law enforcement about what’s really happening. Petrol station owners are increasingly frustrated. It’s not just one or two dishonest customers. It’s organised crime gangs, repeat offenders, and opportunists who know the system can be gamed. In the last five years, drive-offs have cost the industry around £6.5 million, with 131,000 reported incidents.

Most fuel theft is a case of offenders simply driving off with a full tank. But in some cases, people even walk into the shop and admit they can’t afford to pay. Meanwhile, stolen vehicles taken from people’s drives and houses are then filled up at these stations and if they don’t want to pay for the car, they are not likely to pay for their fuel!

Our long-running collaboration with BP and Welcome Break saw plain-clothed officers deployed across sites to catch fuel thieves in the act. The results? We didn’t just catch fuel thieves, we picked up armed robbers, burglars, drug dealers and fraudsters. Everyone has to stop and refuel at some point, and when you’ve got systems in place to monitor those moments, you can make serious progress.

Our teams were able to relay information to law enforcement in real time, often positioning officers down the road to intercept offenders once they left the forecourt. Because we took proactive steps, offenders couldn’t just give false details and vanish. They were caught. Today, many forecourts require prepayment or card verification before pumping begins. Truck drivers often have to hand over their card first. It’s common across Europe. So why are some UK stations still letting customers pump before paying? One word: upselling. For many, the chance of a shopper walking into the store and grabbing snacks or drinks is worth the risk.

But is that upsell really worth the cost of stolen fuel? Some retailers are finding out the hard way that the margins don’t add up. Especially when fraudsters are using mobile top-up cards, which are easy to repurpose and harder to trace than standard bank cards. There are simple behavioural cues that indicate when someone may be preparing to steal fuel. For example, if a driver leaves the engine running and is asked to turn it off but resists, it’s often because they’re planning to make a quick getaway. Our guards are trained to spot these signs and act early.

It’s also worth noting that tackling petrol theft can lead to other breakthroughs. Many individuals picked up for drive-offs were wanted for unrelated crimes. The forecourt, oddly enough, is a great place to disrupt criminal activity. We were speaking with a contact recently who said what we do is “relatively unique.” Most companies have a non-arrest policy and keep things hands-off. But we’ve always believed in encouraging our clients to face problems head on.

It’s not about escalation, it’s about momentum. If criminals see that nothing happens when they steal, they come back feeling bolder. That leads to more theft, more intimidation, and potentially, more violence. But when there are systems and trained professionals in place, the message is clear: this isn’t an easy target.

Now, more retailers are reconsidering their approach. They’re bringing in more store detectives and investing in visible security. And those who don’t adapt risk being left behind. At Advantage One, we’ve bucked the national trend with falling crime figures, while many others are experiencing sharp increases. That’s no accident: it’s because we believe in taking action early, being visible, and never letting things grow out of control. Just ask the hedges.

If you want to discuss a proactive and direct defence against problems like this, give us a call or message Advantage One on LinkedIn.