THE number of fuel thefts has risen consistently in recent years as the prices of petrol and diesel has increased, figures show.

The average cost of fuel has nearly doubled since the beginning of 2021, forming part of the wider cost-of-living crisis that continues to grip the nation.

Gwent Police figures, obtained via a Freedom of Information request, show the number of reports of fuel being stolen from vehicles in the area has more than doubled in less than two years.

Some 76 reports of the offence were made to Gwent Police between January and June this year. In the six months between July and December 2020, there were 31 reports.

Similarly, incidents of people making off without payment from fuelling stations have nearly doubled in the same period.

There were 249 reports of the offence in Gwent between January and June this year, compared with 126 between July and December 2020.

While the pandemic and lockdowns may have played a role, there is a clear trend between the number of fuel thefts increasing in line with rising costs at the forecourts.

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The average price of unleaded jumped from around 116p a litre in January 2021 to 145p a year later, and then increased to a high of 191p by the end of June.

Average diesel prices rose from around 119p a litre at the beginning of last year to 149p in January this year, and hit a high of 199p in late June.

A review by the Competition and Markets Authority found that growing oil refining margins were one of the main causes of fuel prices to soar earlier this year.

The increase from the crude oil price when it enters refineries to the wholesale price when it leaves them as petrol or diesel had more than tripled in 12 months to nearly 35p per litre, the competition regulator said.

But recent improvements in wholesale costs have not been matched with cheaper prices at forecourts, the RAC has warned.

The organisation said petrol drivers continue to get a “raw deal” at the pumps despite a record price drop last month, according to new analysis.

The RAC said average forecourt prices sank to 169.8p per litre at the end of August, but should be around 161p due to current wholesale costs.

The 12.3p drop in average prices during August was the largest monthly drop in records dating back 22 years.