More than 50 petrol and diesel theft cases heard in Norfolk courts

The rise has seen some defendants accused of multiple drive-offs, while the value of fuel taken in individual incidents has run into hundreds of pounds.

Fuel theft prevention company Forecourt Eye said incidents of fuel taken without payment soared by 20pc after the conflict began on February 28, compared with the preceding five months.

CCTV screengrab issued by Forecourt Eye as fuel thefts from filling stations have spiked (Image: Forecourt Eye/PA Wire)

The increase in pump prices driven by the war means the average value of stolen fuel rose by almost half with some thefts running into the hundreds of pounds.

The average price of a litre of petrol has climbed to £1.74 - about 41p more than before the conflict, representing a three-and-a-half year high.

The average for diesel has risen even faster at about 57p per litre higher than prior to the war, at £1.99.

The court cases include both drive-offs, when there is no attempt to pay, but also no means of payment incidents, when a customer fills up and claims they have no way to pay.

The average price of unleaded as risen to £1.74 a litre and diesel to almost £2 during on-going Iran conflict (Image: PA)

Rise in UK petrol and diesel prices during US-Iran war (Image: PA)

Among the recent Norfolk cases was a HGV driver alleged to have stolen more than £1,000 worth of fuel from two garages.

Martin Ward, from Chigwell in Essex, is said to have driven off without paying £545 at a Thetford filling station on August 8 and £457.79 at another garage on the outskirts of Bury St Edmunds two days later.

In other cases John Parkinson, of Nottingham Way, Great Yarmouth, and Augusto Jose Bernardo, of Wellesley Road, Great Yarmouth, both separately pleaded guilty to three thefts from forecourts across the county.

Ben Lawrence, a director at Lawrences Garages, who are spoke about impact of forecourt fuel thefts (Image: PA)

CCTV screengrab issued by Forecourt Eye of person filling fuel into plastic containers at a petrol station (Image: Forecourt Eye/PA Wire)

Ben Lawrence, a director at Lawrences Garages, which owns petrol stations in Sheringham, Harleston and Beccles, said fuel thefts were historically often carried out by people involved in other crimes, but rises in the cost of living mean this is no longer the case.

He said there is a “misconception” that all forecourts featuring branding from energy giants such as BP and Shell are operated by those companies, rather than smaller businesses, so some drivers believe it “doesn’t matter” when they fail to pay.

“It does matter to us,” he went on.

“When someone drives off after taking fuel worth £80 to £90, it’s hitting us, not the oil companies. We’ve already purchased it.”