Drive-off clampdown

Police in South Derbyshire are clamping down on the theft of fuel and warning motorists that they could face prosecution if they drive off without paying for it. The warnings come due to a rise in drive-offs across the district. Officers from the Safer Neighbourhood teamsare visiting forecourtsin the area, working withthe owners to raise awareness with staff and to give them hints and tips to prevent the offence from taking place.

Robbery injury

A member of staff injured in a suspected robbery at Blurton Filling Station, Stoke-on-Trent, had to be treated for cuts and bruises at the Royal Stoke University Hospital. Staffordshire Police said a 29-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of robbery following an incident at the BP branded site. Police were called to the location just after 4.10am on Thursday December 3.

98% rise in contactless

Contactless payments at service stations have risen by 98% following the increase in the spending limit from £20 to £30 in September, according to a survey by Barclaycard.

Charge cap welcomed

The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has welcomed the introduction of a cap on the fees that banks charge retailers for accepting debit and credit cards. The new rules state that interchange fees will be capped at 0.3% for credit card transactions and 0.2% on debit card transactions.

Plug-in extension

The government has announced a long-term extension to the end of March 2018 to the plug-in car grant, backed by a £400m package to treble the number of ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs) in Britain.