A NEW crackdown has been launched in a bid to stop petrol station fuel thieves.

Filling stations in Bolton West have signed up to the Hats Off scheme in which petrol pumps will not be activated by staff until customers have taken off headgear including hats, hoods, scarves and motorcycle helmets.

The pumps will only be activated when drivers’ faces can be seen on a station’s CCTV.

PC Andy Vernon, community beat manager for Horwich, said: “We want to reduce some of the forecourt crime that is going on, particularly driving off without payment, which is a problem borough-wide and nationwide.”

Anyone who refuses to remove their headgear will not be served. Religious headgear is not included in the ban.

PC Vernon said: “Hopefully, it will also have a knock-on effect in reducing other crimes as criminals in stolen cars with false number plates will be less likely to want to use these stations because they know they will end up on CCTV. It means they can’t hide any more.”

The initiative, which has been co-ordinated with Bolton Council’s community safety team, is being piloted at eight garages for the next three months in the western district.

The filling stations are: Gordons of Bolton in Chorley New Road, Horwich; Tesco and Asda, off De Havilland Way, Horwich; Lostock Service Station, in Chorley New Road; Mercury, in Manchester Road, Westhoughton; Shell in Hunger Hill, Co-op in Cricketers Way, Westhoughton and Texaco in Wigan Road, Westhoughton.

If it is successful, it could be rolled out across the borough.

Deborah Aspinall, who manages the Gordons of Bolton filling station in Chorley New Road, Horwich, said: “I think it is a really good scheme and hopefully it will help reduce forecourt crime and identify potential criminals.”

Miss Aspinall said the scheme might take some getting used to but hoped customers would realise why they were doing it.

PC Vernon said the police would be taking allegations of abuse or threats directed at filling station staff as a result of the scheme very seriously and would take action where appropriate.

pkeaveny@ theboltonnews.co.uk