Cost to the MPS for rectifying misfuelling and repairing police vehicles from 2017 to 2021
Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.22.023043
I note you seek access to the following information:
Q1) For each of the last five calendar years (2017 - 2021) can you please share how many instances there were of police vehicles having the incorrect fuel put in them by staff.
Q2) Can you please supply the cost to the force of rectifying the misfuelling/repairing the vehicle. Please give the total cost for each calendar year from 2017 to 2021.
Q3) Can you please advise of any special measures your force has implemented to prevent these mistakes happening in future. For instance, have police staff been put on training courses or have the vehicles been modified in any way to stop this occurring in future. Please describe the steps taken and also the cost implication of these measures.
Q4) For each othe last five years can you please advise how many instances there have been of police vehicles breaking down as a result of running out of fuel. Please provide figures for each year.
Decision
I have today decided to disclose the information held to you that is held by the MPS.
Please find below information pursuant to your request above.
The MPS are able to disclose information held for Questions One (1), Two (2).
Q1 - For each of the last five calendar years (2017 - 2021) can you please share how many instances there were of police vehicles having the incorrect fuel put in them by staff.
Q2 - Can you please supply the cost to the force of rectifying the misfuelling/repairing the vehicle. Please give the total cost for each calendar year from 2017 to 2021.
The MPS does not hold recorded information for Questions Three (3) and Question Four (4).
Q3 - Can you please advise of any special measures your force has implemented to prevent these mistakes happening in future. For instance, have police staff been put on training courses or have the vehicles been modified in any way to stop this occurring in future. Please describe the steps taken and also the cost implication of these measures.
Q4 - For each othe last five years can you please advise how many instances there have been of police vehicles breaking down as a result of running out of fuel. Please provide figures for each year.
To assist, the MPS is able to provide additional advice and context today to assist with Question Three (3).
Question One (1) and Two (2)
Q1 - For each of the last five calendar years (2017 - 2021) can you please share how many instances there were of police vehicles having the incorrect fuel put in them by staff.
Q2 - Can you please supply the cost to the force of rectifying the misfuelling/repairing the vehicle. Please give the total cost for each calendar year from 2017 to 2021.
Please find your disclosure for Questions One (1) and Two (2).
| Financial Year | Quantity | Total annual cost |
| 2015/16 | 64 | £ 20,266.26 |
| 2016/17 | 49 | £ 17,590.00 |
| 2017/18 | 47 | £ 15,668.25 |
| 2018/19 | 31 | £ 11,893.39 |
| 2019/20 | 17 | £ 6,395.31 |
| 2020/21 | 28 | £ 13,121.12 |
| 2021/22 (to date) | 15 | £ 5,940.63 |
Question Three (3)
Q3 - Can you please advise of any special measures your force has implemented to prevent these mistakes happening in future. For instance, have police staff been put on training courses or have the vehicles been modified in any way to stop this occurring in future. Please describe the steps taken and also the cost implication of these measures.
Whilst the MPS is not required to create new information to answer an FOIA request, to assist you we can confirm that to prevent mistakes happening in the future all vehicle log books have the fuel type written on the front cover and also in the detail section. In terms of new vehicles, nearly all of them now have the fuel type written by the fuel cap.
There is now the application of a Black (Diesel) and Green (Unleaded) sticker on the fuel cap counts. There is also now a fuel type indication on the logbook.
Furthermore, students on driving courses are taught to carry out a daily inspection of their vehicle, which includes ascertaining which type of fuel it runs on.
The MPS have no recorded information on the cost of the sticker regime to which we can refer.
There is also no cost associated with the input from driving school on daily inspections.