The petrol retailer trade body BOSS (British Oil Security Syndicate Ltd) says that its Forecourt Crime Index for the third quarter (Q3) of 2018 has revealed a 13 per cent rise in incidents of crime on Britain’s retail forecourts. Rising fuel prices during the quarter have pushed up the average initial loss per site, before any BOSS Payment Watch recovery, to £420 per site in Q3 2018 (Q2 2018: £346), an increase of 21.4pc.
During the Q3 2018 the trend has been upward in all measured parameters. Compared with 2018 Q2, fuel prices were up 3.6pc, the number of ‘No Means of Payment’ (NMOP) incidents reported to BOSS rose by 13pc, the average volume taken rose by 3pc and the total initial debt reported per site rose by 21.4pc. The debt recovered in relation to the incidents reported in the quarter rose by 16pc.
In summary:
The Forecourt Crime Index for Q3 2018 was 159, (Q2 2018: 139)
Average initial financial loss before BOSS Payment Watch recovery was £420 per site during Q3 2018 (Q2 2018: £346).
Net litres lost per site after BOSS Payment Watch recovery was 186 during Q3 2018 (Q2 2018: 154)
BOSS has returned £1.2 million to forecourt retailers during the last 12 months – a 22.6% increase in recoveries during 2018 compared to the same period in 2017
The Index is based on the number of incidents reported to BOSS in each quarter; the index base of 100 was established in the second quarter of 2015.
Kevin Eastwood, executive director of BOSS, said: “There is growing pressure on forecourt retailers as escalating fuel prices are clearly tempting more motorists to evade payment. It is essential that forecourt staff remain vigilant and when incidents occur that they record evidence accurately and retain all appropriate CCTV information.
“BOSS is dealing with more than 5,000 incidents every month and we continue to recover significant amounts of money for fuel retailers. The latest survey results show that BOSS has again returned more than £1 million to our members during the last 12 months.”
According to the trade body, forecourt crime is estimated to cost retailers more than £30m annually; some two thirds of crime resulting from ‘drive-offs’ and the remainder coming from ‘No Means of Payment’ incidents. Visit https://www.bossuk.co.uk/.
