EXCLUSIVE: Almost 97% of Hertfordshire petrol drive-off reports see no suspect identified
FOI figures reveal thousands of reported fuel thefts lead to no suspect being identified
Almost 97% of reports of people driving off from petrol stations without paying for their fuel in Hertfordshire have resulted in no suspect being identified, exclusive figures obtained by Greatest Hits Radio News reveal.
The figures, released following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to Hertfordshire Constabulary, cover the period from January 2025 to September 2026.
Of the 2,481 offences recorded as 'Making Off Without Payment', police recorded no suspect being identified in 2,399 cases – around 97%.
When including a further 1,807 offences classified as 'Other Theft', the total number of reported fuel drive-offs rises to 4,288, with no suspect identified in 4,046 cases.
The data also reveals the scale of some individual thefts, with 16 incidents involving more than £400 worth of fuel.
In a further 33 cases, the recorded value was between £200 and £400.
'More needs to be done'
Hertfordshire's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Jonathan Ash-Edwards says more needs to be done to tackle the problem.
He told Greatest Hits Radio News: "I think it's really important that there are consequences for crime and that's why it's important that retail crime is an area of focus.
"There's a lot more that needs to be done around the specific offence of making off without payment for fuel."
He added: "People will find it hard to understand why they are paying for petrol and other people are choosing not to."
Mr Ash-Edwards said a significant proportion of fuel thefts happen at a small number of petrol stations, meaning a targeted approach could help tackle repeat offending.
He said petrol retailers could play their part too, by investing in security measures such as technology to identify vehicles linked to previous fuel thefts.
The Conservative PCC also said he would continue raising the issue with and review progress through future meetings with the Chief Constable.
He said: 'I'll continue raising that and holding the police to account to deliver on that.'"
Hertfordshire Constabulary said it remained "fully committed to investigating and detecting theft of fuel offences".
A spokesperson added that criminals stealing fuel were often involved in other criminal activity, making it important for retailers to work with police and provide evidence such as CCTV footage and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) data.
The force also said it had secured several successful charges, community resolutions and adult cautions over the last year.
However, 36 of the 4,288 reports resulted in someone being charged or summonsed, while a further 56 investigations remain unfinalised.