All Forecourt Trader articles in July 2013
View all stories from this issue.
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News
Rates revamp for Northern Ireland petrol stations
Forecourt businesses in Northern Ireland are being urged to submit forms needed for the revaluation of business rates in the province. Land & Property Services (LPS) is reminding business ratepayers in Northern Ireland that time is running out to submit a Form of Return as part of the non-domestic revaluation ...
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Number planning to use franchised dealers increases
The National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) has welcomed a report showing the number of consumers planning to use a franchised dealer for servicing is increasing. The report, from motoring.co.uk, revealed that 50% of consumers over the last six months said they will used a franchised dealer for servicing, compared with ...
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Police CCTV van targets crime at Tesco forecourt
Police in Watford have been deploying a police CCTV van at a Tesco petrol station to deter drive-offs and detect other car crime, according to a report in the Watford Observer. The bright yellow police van has been left unmanned in the garage at Bushey for several hours a day, for more than a month, but local police refused to say why. However, staff from Tesco Express revealed that the van is there to stop motorists driving off without paying for petrol and to track motorists with false number plates and invalid tax or insurance. Deputy manager Karan Theyeagearasha said: “We’ve had loads of people come in here, fill up their tanks and drive off. It’s not a small amount of petrol either, we’re talking at least £70 a time. “Having the police presence acts as a deterrent, they’re preventing crime. If people drive in with false number plates, without insurance or valid tax, or even stolen cars they can capture them on their CCTV.” He said the visits were at random. Police would park on the forecourt, leave the van and patrol the high street. He added: “Since they’ve started doing it I’ve noticed fewer people are driving off without paying for their petrol.”
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Police hand mini cameras to vulnerable retailers
Retailers in Edinburgh who have been subjected to a series of hate crimes are to be given mini body cameras by police to capture images of their attackers. The scheme is being piloted in the north of Edinburgh, and will be rolled out to other areas if it is successful. ...
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BAT launches e-cigarette in UK
British American Tobacco (BAT) has become the first tobacco manufacturer to launch an e-cigarette in the UK. The e-cigarette is branded Vype and will be available for sale on-line with plans to move into mainstream retail outlets from September 2013. Vype uses a nicotine e-liquid that is made in the ...
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Armed robbery at Total garage in Derbyshire
Two men have robbed the Total petrol station in Mickleover, Derbyshire. At around 9.50pm on Thursday, July 25, two men entered the service station, in Etwall Road. One of the men was carrying a knife. One robber jumped over the counter while the other, the armed man, took a male ...
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Attempted murder charges after forecourt fire
A thirty five year old man from Devizes, Wiltshire, has been charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count of arson with intent to endanger life after a van with two occupants was set alight on a petrol station forecourt. The incident occurred at the Esso filling station ...
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Inquiry into tobacco smuggling welcomed
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has welcomed a new inquiry launched by an all-party committee of MPs into tobacco smuggling in the UK. The Home Affairs Committee inquiry comes after a report from the National Audit Office revealed that HM Revenue & Customs had failed to meet any of ...
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Tobacco tax evaders jailed
Two men have been jailed after being convicted of tobacco tax evasion. Graham Kay, 38, from Bolton and Soran Salih, 24, from Bury were caught moving 245 kilos of smuggled tobacco between two vans by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officers. The officers seized the tobacco and both men were ...
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Costcutter introduces contactless payment
Costcutter Supermarkets Group has become one of the first symbol operators to introduce new contactless payment technology across more than 500 of its stores. Kevin Widdrington, IT director for Costcutter Supermarkets Group, said: “This is a major achievement for Costcutter Supermarkets Group, the symbol group sector and independent retailers. Costcutter ...
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Forecourts urged to act over card charges
The PRA has welcomed a move by the EC to limit fees charged to retailers for processing debit and credit cards, but says more needs to be done, and petrol station operators can help to drive the change. The EC intends to limit the fees for processing debit card transactions ...
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MPs urge government to act over oil refining industry
MPs have urged the Government to take action to maintain the health of the UK oil refining industry. The House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee’s report on UK Oil Refining, which is published today calls for government action to address the burden of UK and EU legislative requirements ...
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Thief admits 21 drive-offs
A thief has admitted driving off from 21 petrol stations across the West Midlands and Staffordshire without paying over a seven-month period. Tadas Prismantas used two cars – both with the same stolen number plate – when he took fuel worth hundreds of pounds from garages across the region. The ...
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Sainsbury’s running 10ppl-off promotion
Sainsbury’s has launched a loss-leading promotion offering 10p per litre (ppl) off fuel. From Thursday 25th July, until Wednesday 31st July, customers who spend £60 or more in a single transaction in store will receive a coupon entitling them to 10p off per litre of fuel. Customers who order their ...
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TV series seeks to combat shoplifting
A TV company is looking for owners or managers willing to take part in a programme aiming to help businesses troubled by shoplifters. Optomen Television is the maker of Mary Portas: Secret Shopper and Gordon Ramsay’s: Kitchen Nightmares, and is producing a new series featuring a crime prevention expert who ...
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Digger used to steal cashpoint
Witnesses are being sought by Bedfordshire Police after a petrol station cashpoint was stolen by thieves on Friday night (July 19). The raid happened at around 11.25pm at Stotfold Service Station in Arlesey Road, Stotfold, when three offenders used a stolen digger from a field opposite to lift the cash ...
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C&C owner jailed for tobacco duty fraud
A Southall cash and carry owner, who was found with more than £500,000 worth of non-duty paid tobacco products after three visits by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) officers, has been jailed. Pius Sedani, 51, had been given two formal warnings for selling illegal tobacco and alcohol after visits by ...
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Armed robbery in Essex
Essex Police are appealing for witnesses after an armed robbery at a petrol station in Laindon. The robbery was carried out by two masked men who entered the BP petrol station at the Fortune of War, Arterial Road, in Laindon, at 6.30am on Monday July 22. One was armed with ...
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OFT probes sale of stores by Alfred Jones
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has launched an investigation into the sale of 33 convenience stores owned by Top 50 Indies operator Alfred Jones (Warrington). Earlier this month Alfred Jones agreed the deal with One Stop Stores, a subsidiary of Tesco, and the OFT said it is considering whether ...