Greenwich police warning over Eltham petrol scam (From News Shopper)

Greenwich police warning over Eltham petrol scam

4:55pm Wednesday 16th January 2013 in Crime By Mark Chandler

POLICE have vowed to catch drivers who fill up with petrol and then leave without paying following a spate of incidents in Eltham.

Petrol stations in Eltham High Street and Well Hall Road have been hit by the scam, where customers fill up and then claim they have no money to pay.

Cashiers have taken contact details along with registration numbers and agreed customers should return the following day to settle their bills.

But after the drivers fail to return, theie details are passed to Greenwich police.

Sergeant Marianne Catmull said: "We are receiving details of customers who have not paid on a daily basis. Their details are being put on our systems and they are, technically, becoming suspects of a crime.

"We are also adding their vehicle details to our Automatic Number Plate Recognition system - this means that our police vehicles will beep when one of the non-paying drivers and their car drive past us.

"Some people will end up with a criminal record and will find us knocking on their doors. It’s simple - If you don’t have the money, don’t fill up."