Not charged for fuel

Hammyman

vax2002 wrote: »

The police then enter your details on ANPR, which are fitted to traffic cars and various static points around town, you ping the ANPR, you get arrested for the theft of the fuel, the car gets seized as evidence at your expense.

I've never been arrested when I've driven off without paying. 100% of the number of times I've done it, a police officer has knocked on my front door.

Basically, you're talking out of your backside.

eschaton

vax2002 wrote: »

A lot of folk on here have a very poor understanding of how the police work, explain this, explain that, this is not how the real world works.
What would really happen.
The fuel station reports the making off without payment and gives the police your registration details.
The police then enter your details on ANPR, which are fitted to traffic cars and various static points around town, you ping the ANPR, you get arrested for the theft of the fuel, the car gets seized as evidence at your expense. Then you will be bailed to appear at court, where you will attend to confirm your name, then to plead, then for trial or sentence depending on your plea, then you get your chance to explain your big mistake. To those who say, just tell the police this, just tell them that obviously have never been anywhere near the system, you do not explain anything, you are an offender, You are only interviewed by the police to establish 3 things.
1 that you confirm you were present on the given date ,
2 that you confirm you were involved in some way as alleged.
3 that you admit or deny you are guilty, the rest of the interview is ignored unless you proceed to waffle your way in it deeper, your only chance of getting off from court is if the charges are dropped by CPS, there is a lack of evidence or you plead guilty to the police and accept a caution. The police have no interest whatsoever in the windbagery that pours from your mouth you are an offender to them and they have a duty to pursue the matter to a result for the victim, they dont really care how you feel about that.
Sorry if this is harsh, but the truth always is.

You really do talk total and utter pish.

Do you practice or does it come naturally?

I made off without paying one day about 3 years ago at a Shell PFS. I had personal issues I was dealing with, I wasn't thinking. I filled car up, bought a few things in the shop. They didn't ask what pump number and my head was up my !!!! so wasn't thinking about fuel to pay for.

Got home from work the next day with an answer phone message on house phone from the Police local to that PFS asking me to call them.

Hadn't a clue why the Police would want me to phone them. I called them and they asked if I had bought petrol from X PFS the previous day. I said I had and they told me I hadn't paid. I explained what had happened and they just told me to go in and pay it asap and get a receipt and then go to the Police station with the receipt.

That was the end of it. The PFS were fine when I went in and the Police were absolutely fine.

Ebe_Scrooge

Exactly the same thing happened to my wife. Filled up, absent mindedly drove off due to sorting out quarreling kids in the back. Got home, phone call from the police, they said no problem, just go back and pay. That was the end of it ( she didn't even have to provide a receipt to the police, I presume the garage confirmed to the police that she had paid ).

I think the vast majority of garages and police are perfectly reasonable when it's obviously an honest mistake. I did wonder how they got our home phone number, but then obviously the police would have traced the registration plate. So that probably helps as well, given that all the details held by DVLA or whatever tie up, and it's obviously not a stolen car or anything.

So to the OP, just pay up and don't worry about it :-)