Devon and Cornwall police are hunting a man seen filling his vehicle with fuel at a Falmouth petrol station before driving off with out paying for the fuel. The number plates on the vehicle were actually stolen from a Renault Clio in January.
The number plates have been used on two separate occasions to obtain fuel with-out payment on Renault cars. These stories are becoming more and more frequent where the initial number plates are stolen and then used for forecourt theft.
The cost of fuel continues to increase and that suggests this waive of criminal activity is likely to get worse before it gets better. Car number plates are relatively inexpensive to purchase however in order to get number plates legally the purchaser has to produce documents to prove who they are and that they have entitlement to the registration. Therefore criminals are stealing number plates for illicit purposes.
