New fuel marker to prevent fraud

A NEW RED DYE fuel marker is being introduced by the British and Irish governments to tackle fraud. The illegal use of cheaper fuel in the UK means criminals avoid paying tax and can sell it on at a lower rate than normal fuel from a petrol station.

The new marker will make it harder for criminals to disguise fuel by removing the red dye. Fuel that has the marker added is often called ‘red diesel’ and is only meant to be used by certain businesses, such as farmers.

‘Using illicit fuel is not a victimless crime; it robs the government of tax revenue that is used to fund vital public services and puts those businesses that follow the rules at a commercial disadvantage. It also has a severe environmental impact, with considerable clean-up costs for local councils. So we are boosting HMRC's fight against this fraud by introducing a more robust marker to ensure it is far harder to remove.’

By Press Association reporters