A drive and dash motorist is being hunted for over £120 of fuel after he filled his car up and set off without paying.
The mysterious man struck family-run Palmarsh Gulf Service Station in Hythe, Kent, on June 23 at around 7.20pm.
CCTV shows his blue car pulling onto the forecourt of the service station, and a man exiting from the driver’s side.
He then fills up with petrol before the video shows him reentering the vehicle and casually driving off without attempting to pay.
But Sutha Hari, the owner of the petrol station, said he will not be reporting the driver to the police – claiming ‘nothing ever comes of it’.
The 49-year-old said fuel theft is becoming a regular occurrence – which is ‘really damaging’ for his business, causing staff to feel ‘let down’.
The mysterious man struck family-run Palmarsh Gulf Service Station in Hythe, Kent, on June 23 at around 7.20pm
CCTV shows his blue car pulling onto the forecourt of the service station, and a man exiting from the driver’s side to fill up
He fills up with petrol before the video shows him reentering the vehicle and casually driving off without attempting to pay
He said: ‘We lose money, which can be tough for a small business like ours.
‘It’s also very unfair to our hard-working staff who feel let down when this happens.’
But, despite the significant amount of fuel stolen, Mr Hari and his family decided not to report it to the police.
He added: ‘The most frustrating part is that the police often can’t do much about it, so we’re left without a proper solution.
‘It feels like an open-and-shut case with no happy ending for us.
‘This has happened three times in the past month and all the vehicles had fake number plates.
‘Every time the police ask for evidence, we send it to them, and they call the very next day and say we can’t do anything.
‘We hope that by talking about this issue, we can raise awareness and find ways to stop it from happening in the future.’
Last year, 971 reports of people failing to pay pumps in Kent were made to police.
Sutha Hari, the owner of the petrol station (pictured), said he will not be reporting the driver to the police – claiming ‘nothing ever comes of it’
CCTV captures the moment the driver pulls into the forecourt of the station
It had been 1,116 in 2022 and 752 the year before that – although businesses and industry experts say the actual figure is likely to be far higher due to not all incidents being reported.
In addition, a Freedom of Information request sent by news site KentOnline to Kent Police revealed last year about 80 per cent of ‘drive-off’ cases ended with no one brought to justice.
This is an increase on the previous year when it had been just 70 per cent.
James Wyles, community safety unit inspector for Kent Police’s Folkestone and Hythe team, said that in the last three years, officers have been called to the Palmarsh garage twice.
He said: ‘Kent Police received two reports of fuel being stolen from Palmarsh Service Station on November 7, 2021, and on May 27, 2024.
‘Following an investigation, officers charged a man in connection with the incident reported in November 2021. The decision was later taken by the Crown Prosecution Service to discontinue the case.
‘As part of our enquiries to obtain CCTV footage relating to the incident reported in May 2024, officers have visited Palmarsh Service Station.
The Petrol Retailers Association claims drive and dash motorists are costing petrol stations £100 million per year (stock image)
‘During the visit, two previous offences, that were not reported to police, were disclosed to officers and enquiries are underway to establish the full circumstances of those offences.
‘The distressing impact that crimes such as this can have on businesses is not lost on officers, and we encourage all suspected fuel thefts to be reported to us via the appropriate channels.
‘This ensures we can investigate all available evidence – which may include where registration plates have been disguised – and deliver a proportionate response.’
Gordon Balmer, executive director of the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), added: ‘Industry experts suggest that the cost to the forecourt industry of making off without paying for fuel and no means to pay is over £100 million per annum.
‘The PRA is working hard with technology providers, police forces and the government to improve systems to combat this.
‘Unfortunately, the cost of crime must be paid for alongside all the other rising costs that our members have had to bear.’