Forecourt thieves costing €2m annually

Service stations are losing up to €2m annually through people driving off deliberately without paying for their petrol, according to Crimestoppers.

The organisation has joined forces with the industry to draw attention to the problem. Yvonne Hyland, the director of Crimestoppers, said driving away without paying was not only illegal but also foolish because prosecutions were very likely.

"We have got CCTV cameras up in all the petrol stations and they are likely to be caught," she said.