Drivers have stolen an average of nearly £200,000 worth of fuel from petrol stations across the UK each day since the Iran oil crisis began, according to new analysis.

Data from fuel theft prevention firm Forecourt Eye showed that incidents of motorists leaving without paying for fuel jumped by 20 per cent in the five months following the start of the conflict on February 28, compared with the previous five-month period.

The surge in fuel prices triggered by the conflict also pushed up the value of stolen fuel by 48 per cent, with losses estimated at an average of £194,000 per day across the UK’s 8,359 forecourts.

The analysis further found that first-time offenders accounted for the sharpest increase, with incidents rising by 23 per cent and the volume of fuel stolen climbing 26 per cent.

By comparison, repeat offenders recorded increases of 17 per cent in incidents and 20 per cent in the amount of fuel stolen.

The thefts include “drive-offs”, where motorists leave without making any attempt to pay, and “no means of payment” incidents, in which customers fill their tanks before claiming they have no way to settle the bill.

The average price of petrol reached 160 pence per litre on Friday, about 27 pence higher than before the conflict began and the highest level in three-and-a-half years.

Diesel prices have also surged, with the average cost rising to 179 pence per litre, around 37 pence above pre-conflict levels.

To help tackle the problem, Forecourt Eye has partnered with Facewatch to provide its customers with free access to crime-reporting technology, making it easier to document fuel theft, shoplifting and other criminal incidents.

The service also gives users the option of joining Facewatch’s live facial recognition network, which alerts participating businesses when known offenders are detected.