Industry stalwart Guy White is rallying the industry to raise money to support the family of a petrol station employee critically injured while trying to stop a drive-off.
Guy, managing director of Laurels Service Station in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, says that since the incident last month, he has not been able to get the story, which was reported widely in the media, ‘out of his mind’.
He says he feels “compelled to help” and has written to the manager of the Esso site in Normanton, West Yorkshire, where the incident took place offering his support and wishing 23-year-old Srisankar Subramanian well.
He is putting out feelers to see if other operators would like to join him in setting up a fundraising effort for the family.
He is also calling on fellow forecourt owners to educate employees on the importance of not risking their lives when confronting a drive-off, including in regular staff training.
“The guidance should be for staff to try to record the registration plate details from the safety of the shop and then to leave the chasing of the culprits to the police,” says Guy.
At a recent meeting of his own staff, Guy says he discussed the recent case, re-stating to them that they should not put their safety at risk in these incidents.
“I cannot imagine what [Srisankar’s] work colleagues are going through,” says Guy. “All he was trying to do was protect his employer from losing money.”
Just a few weeks after the event the forecourt community was shocked by remarks made by a senior police officer that some drive-offs were committed by people who were ‘not having a great day’.
Superintendent Fran Harrod of Lincolnshire Police told the BBC that the force had “finite resources” to investigate cases and had to prove that there was intent to steal.
Like others in the industry, Guy found the comments insensitive and completely missing the point that drive-offs are often planned in advance, and carried out by people with false number plates.
“Legitimising drive-offs by saying that people have forgotten to pay just opens us up to even more of these incidents, with criminals believing there is no recourse,” says Guy.
Two men are due to appear at Leeds Crown Court on November 21 after the October 20 incident, during which a black Audi S3 was driven away after a failure to pay.
Taghan Bal, 18, appeared at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on October 24, charged with unlawfully and maliciously wounding Srisankar with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm.
Bal failed to say how he would plead and was remanded in custody pending the Crown Court appearance. A bail application was refused.
Bal was also accused of dangerous driving, perverting the course of justice, making off without payment, and displaying a false number plate.
His co-defendant Aderoju Adeniran, 31, appeared at the same court charged with perverting the course of justice, making off without payment, and displaying a false number plate.
According to BBC reports, neurosurgeons have said that Srisankar is “increasingly unlikely to survive his brain injury”.
Guy has said that by coming together to support the Subramanian family, the forecourt sector will be sending a strong message that drive-offs will not be tolerated.
He adds: “The industry should get together and if needed offer financial support for his family. We must work together to really educate our employees not to put themselves in this danger.”
“I cannot get this incident out of my mind as it could easily have been one or our own team,” he adds.
