As if the current fuel shortages are not enough, it seems that thieves are targeting petrol stations with stolen cars or with stolen numbers plates. Garages have CCTV with automatic number plate recognition systems, but are in-affective against stolen cars and number plates.
The problem is getting so bad that it has been given its own term; “Bilking” is where thieves go to the garage forecourt, fill up and drive off without paying. The fuel is then siphoned off into larger tanks where it stored and sold on to other drivers.
The theft of fuel is estimated to cost the UK around £29 million last year, which is a rise of twenty per cent, but with the current fuel problems it can only be assumed that this type of theft is going to be on the increase. It has been said that the fuel supplies are already running low due to fact that people are filling up because of the closure of the North Sea pipeline.
The CCTV systems are being upgraded to ANPR which should prevent either stolen vehicles or cars with stolen number plates on, but this would only work if the theft has been reported and the system updated. But if the number plates are stolen and used straight away, then there is little that can be done about it.
Source [Scotsman]
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They provide private number plates, rare number plates, attend number plate auctions and buy cherished number plates.
http://www.personallyyours.co.uk/
