FOI 0073-2026/27- Fuel theft

Request:

Please could you confirm:

Q1. The number of making off without payment (MOWP) offences recorded so far this year, per month How many of those relate to petrol station fuel drive-offs?

- Has there been an increase in these offences - particularly drive-offs - since fuel prices started to surge with the start of the war in Iran, e.g. Since 28 February? 

Any context or commentary you're able to provide alongside any numbers would be very useful.

Response:

Extent and Result of Searches to Locate Information

To locate the information relevant to your request searches were conducted within North Yorkshire Police.

I can confirm that the information you have requested is held by North Yorkshire Police. 

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the following information to you.

Q1.  Please see the table below showing the number of making off without payment crimes between 01 January 2026 and 28 April 2026 where the MO location is petrol station, broken down by month.

Please note that systems used for recording information are not generic, nor are the procedures used locally in capturing the data.  It should be noted therefore that this force’s response to your questions should not be used for comparison purposes with any other responses you may receive.