All Latest News articles – Page 377
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News
Patron Capital confirms joint-venture acquisition of MFG
Patron Capital, the pan-European institutional investor focused on property-backed investments, has confirmed its acquisition of Top 50 independent fuel retailer Motor Fuels Group Limited (MFG) in a joint venture with a new management team backed by oil industry veteran, Alasdair Locke. MFG is the fifth largest chain of independent petrol ...
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ACS seeks data for latest Retail Crime Survey
ACS is calling on retailers from across the convenience sector to complete the 2011 Crime Survey. The survey addresses a range of issues including burglary, crime reporting, robberies and physical violence, and verbal abuse.Every year, ACS gathers information from retailers across the country to reveal the true impact of crime ...
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Fears of record fuel prices following rapid Christmas and New Year increases
RMIP’s fuel price monitoring system, Big Oil, has seen the steepest and fastest-ever rise in wholesale costs over the festive period. From Monday 19 December to Thursday 5 January the cost of diesel increased by nearly 4.50ppl and unleaded petrol by as much as 5.00ppl with 20% VAT to be ...
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Car catches fire at BP site
BP has praised staff at its petrol station in South Mimms for acting quickly and safely when a burning car entered the forecourt in the early hours of Tuesday morning.A Land Rover pulled onto the site at the Welcome Break service area off junction 23 of the M25 with smoke ...
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Topaz chief plans move to DCC
Chief executive of Topaz, Eddie O’Brien, is to resign in order to return to an international role and take up a senior position with DCC.Topaz chairman, Neil O’Leary, has thanked O’Brien for his service with the company and wished him success in his new role: "Together with his colleagues on ...
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RMIP kicks off 2012 with call for fuel tax reform
RMI Petrol has kicked off the New Year by writing to the Chancellor with a Briefing Paper urging reform of fuel tax ahead of the deferred duty increase on August 1. As detailed in the Autumn Statement on November 30, this will be 3.02 pence per litre (ppl) plus 20% ...
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Drivers resolve to further cut back car use, claims AA report
Petrol sales, which were down 2.4 billion litres in the first nine months of 2011 compared to 2008, look set to collapse further in 2012, according to a new report by the AA.A poll of 20,181 AA members revealed that motorists plan to cut back even more on car use ...
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Tobacco companies drop English High Court challenge on tobacco display ban
All of the claimants challenging the English ban on displaying tobacco products in shops, including JTI UK and JTI Sweden, have notified the English High Court that they will not be continuing with their judicial review challenge. A statement from JTI UK said the decision had been taken in light ...
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Murco director moves to MFG
Murco’s retail marketing director Jeremy Clarke is moving to the Motor Fuel Group as managing director, and taking other Murco excutives with him, including dealer sales manager Jim Mulheran. Meanwhile, Top 50 Indie Sej Sejpal said he is feeling "on top of the world" following the sale of his shareholding ...
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Euro Garages appoints finance director
Euro Garages, current Forecourt Trader of the year and one of the UK’s largest operators of petrol forecourts and convenience stores, has appointed James Thornton as finance director.James, who originally qualified with accountancy firm PwC, was previously FD at Blackburn-based Cloverleaf Restaurants Ltd, which was acquired by listed pub ...
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Tobacco display ban guidance published
Guidance on how retailers should comply with the new tobacco display ban regulations in England, which come into force on April 6, 2012 for stores above 280 sqm, has been published by the Department of Health. ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “ACS has worked closely with government officials to ...
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NewsPolice arrest Esso armed robbers
Police have arrested three men after CCTV images were released of an armed robbery that took place at an Esso garage in Portland, Dorset on December 12. The CCTV images show four men who allegedly threatened a male member of staff using a knife, an axe and a baseball ...
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Government outlines plans for councils to retain Business Rates income
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles has today confirmed Government plans to introduce a new income retention scheme for local authorities which promote business growth in their areas from April 2013. As it stands income from national non-domestic rates is collected by local authorities and ...
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Forecourt flasher caught
A forecourt flasher who was caught running naked from a petrol station after terrifying a woman driver, has pleaded guilty to five offences.According to the Northampton Chronicle & Echo, businessman Shaun Lovesey, aged 46, admitted repeatedly exposing himself to women at Tesco Mereway petrol station last October and November.He was ...
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Drive-off teenager dies in police chase
A teenager who allegedly drove off without paying for his fuel was subsequently killed as police gave chase. Police were called after the driver of a purple VW Golf drove off without paying from a BP forecourt in St Leonards, Dorset at 10pm on Saturday night (Dec 17). Two officers ...
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Lord Steel demands French-style motorway petrol price displays
Former Liberal leader Lord Steel of Aikwood has called for Britain to follow the French and display the price their competitors charge for petrol, in a question to the House of Lords about fuel prices at motorway service stations. He said motorway prices were about 10ppl higher than elsewhere ...
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Rural fuel duty relief scheme launched
Fuel retailers can now register for the rural fuel duty rebate pilot scheme, following confirmation of the legislation in Parliament. The pilot was given the go-ahead last month by the European Union, to start in March 2012. It allows for a 5ppl tax discount to apply on fuel sold in ...
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NewsMinister sure of ’no site closures’ as new vapour recovery legislation in force from January 1
The new Fuel Vapour Recovery Stage II EU directive is set to come into force on January 1, 2012, following consultation with local authorities and industry bodies, in particular RMI Petrol. Environment minister John Taylor confirmed that the new requirements would apply to all but the smallest new petrol stations ...
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Leeds dealer wins industry safety award
Faisal Rana of Leeds-based United Petroleum UK won £1,000 at the Xmo Strata Forecourt Safety Awards. Faisal won the award for providing a constant improvement in health and safety on forecourts. The judges lavished praise on the comprehensive package of ideas, systems, processes and thoughts which went into a programme ...
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HMRC officers shut forecourt selling illicit fuel
A forecourt in the Magherafelt area of Co Londonderry selling illicit fuel has been closed down by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). Officers raided the site and tested samples of the fuel from the diesel tanks. As a result, a 17,000-litre fuel tank and the forecourt pumps were seized, along with 2,300 litres of contaminated fuel.John Whiting, assistant director, criminal investigation, HMRC, said: “Selling illicit fuel seriously undercuts legitimate traders who should be able to operate without the threat of unfair competition. The production of illicit fuel can cause considerable damage to the environment and there is also potential for serious damage to vehicle engines.”This case follows one in late November when almost 18,000 litres of suspected illicit fuel were seized by HMRC as part of ongoing activity to tackle the illegal fuel trade in the UK.HMRC officers working with Central Motorway Police and officers from the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) stopped a Northern Irish registered lorry during a roadside operation on the M6 in Birmingham.When they searched the 40ft lorry, which was declared as carrying bread, they uncovered 18 fuel containers. Each container, capable of holding 1,000 litres of fuel, was concealed inside a cardboard box in an attempt to evade detection.Graeme Anderson, assistant director, specialist investigation, HMRC, said: “Fuel transported in this way potentially poses an enormous risk to the safety of the public. Large quantities of fuel would be transported in tankers, designed to carry it safely. The fact that 18,000 litres of fuel were transported in the back of a lorry, shows a total disregard for other road users.”Anyone with information about this type of activity is encouraged to contact the Custom’s Hotline on 0800 59 5000.