Crime & Safety
Bicester driver caught with unpaid fuel bill from last month
The vehicle was caught by Thames Valley Police’s Rural Crime Taskforce while officers were out on patrol in north Oxfordshire on Thursday, March 19.
Checking the vehicle’s registration, officers discovered it was flagged for being ‘linked to shoplifting’.
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A spokesperson for the force said: “Officers stopped a vehicle in Bicester linked to shoplifting.
“It was outstanding for a fuel theft last month. The driver was issued a community resolution to pay for the fuel.”
A community resolution is used by police to handle low-level crime and requires the offender to admit they are guilty and ‘restore’ justice – in this case, by paying the outstanding bill.
Driving away after filling up at a service station, without paying at the counter, is described as ‘making off without payment’ in law, but commonly known as ‘bilking’.