Police have caught up with a vehicle which had been used in multiple petrol drive offs.

The Range Rover, which had cloned plates, had been used to steal petrol totalling a value of more than £1,000 from a number of forecourts.

It was sighted at the Tickled Trout Services, between Blackburn and Preston, attempting to drive off again without paying.

Police said the vehicle boxed in by officers and the driver arrested.

Lancashire Telegraph:

With the sharp rise in petrol prices in recent months, there has been an increase in petrol thefts from filling stations.

Known by the police as ‘bilking’, this offence costs every petrol station around £10,500 per year, and figures obtained by Crown Oil show 99 percent of crimes don’t result in a prosecution.

In serious cases, a person found guilty of Making Off Without Payment could face a maximum of two years in prison and an unlimited fine. Defendants convicted in a Magistrates’ Court can be fined up to £5,000 and/or jailed for up to six months.

One way petrol stations are encouraged to cut fuel theft is by charging motorists up front, and many stations already have this in place with 'pay at the pump' systems.