Fuel theft 408/2026

FOI Reference: 408/2026

Request:

1. 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?

2. 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?

Clarification received:

I'm looking for the data for the first four full calendar months of 2026 if possible please, and a comment relating to whether or not there has been an increase since the start of the Iran war on 28th February 2026.

Response 1:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

There is a total of 74 MOWP offences from January 2026 to May 2026 (up to 21/05/2026).

54 of these are in relation to MOWP for Fuel.

Response 2:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

Jan:  7

Feb: 8

Mar: 14

Apr: 17

May: 8

Please note: Based on the data (bar May data as the month has yet to finish), there has been an increase in instances of MOWP for fuel since the start of the Iran war at the end of February.

It should also be noted that Police forces in the United Kingdom are routinely required to provide crime statistics to government bodies and the recording criteria is set nationally. However, the systems used for recording these figures are not generic, nor are the procedures used locally in capturing the crime data. It should be noted that for these reasons this force's response to your questions should not be used for comparison purposes with any other response you may receive.

(This is a response under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and disclosed on 22/05/2026)