The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has published new guidelines calling for police forces to crack down on repeat ‘no means of payment’ offenders at forecourt stores.

No means of payment offences occur when a driver fills up their car, but isn’t able to pay, and instead signs a form agreeing to pay the money back by an agreed date. However, this system has been abused by those who repeatedly sign agreements, but never pay.

The new guidelines encourage retailers to report to police those who don’t honour the agreement, or who are believed to be repeat offenders, and for forces to prosecute them if they are caught.

CPS senior policy advisor Manjula Nayee said: “Drivers who think they can repeatedly abuse the system designed to help honest people who make genuine errors should be warned - they will be tracked down and brought to justice.”

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