Shropshire petrol stations hit by thieves 1,300 times

Since 2010 there have been 1,331 fuel thefts – known as bilking – across the county, with Telford raking up the highest figures.

Thieves have also taken the opportunity to steal three cars from forecourts as their owners pay for fuel, according to the figures.

The problem of bilking remains a challenge for West Mercia Police.

Figures released to the Shropshire Star through a Freedom of Information request reveal there were 304 thefts last year in the Shropshire part of the force area.

That was significantly up on the 269 cases recorded in 2013, which was in turn higher than just 179 thefts reported in 2012.

There were 310 thefts in 2010 and 260 in 2011.

Despite the 1,300 thefts, only 44 people have been charged.

But police today insisted that bilking is something they take seriously and are determined to fight rigorously, especially as cases are expected to rise now that the price of fuel is on the up again.

Officers say they are starting to crack down on this type of theft by improving CCTV at filling stations across Shropshire.

Superintendent of Telford and Wrekin, James Tozer, said: "West Mercia Police have worked hard to tackle and reduce fuel theft.

"Thieves see the rise in fuel costs as an opportunity, so we have improved CCTV and the reporting of such offences to take action and to identify offenders.

"However, we are not complacent and will work alongside our crime prevention officers across the force to drive the decline of fuel theft further."

Telford suffers from bilking more than other parts of Shropshire, according to today's figures.

In 2012 there were 86 reports of people driving away from stations without paying in Telford, but in 2013 it went up to 117 and then again in 2014 to 121.

In total Telford has seen a total of 545 bilking incidents since 2010.

Ellesmere has the lowest number of filing station crimes with only one incident over the past five years. Shrewsbury has the second highest number of thefts with a total of 262.

In one theft in early May it was reported that a man pulled up to the petrol pumps at the Co-Op Garage in Minsterley, Shrewsbury.

He filled his vehicle up with fuel and then left without making any attempt to pay for it. The man was caught by police and given a caution as well as a ban from that petrol station.