ILLEGAL fuel continues to cause damage to cars – while stations providing it continue to ‘get away with it’.
After it was revealed that 467 filling stations have been caught stocking illicit fuel in the North in four years, a local MLA has estimated that there could be up to 25 filling stations in the county among those.
UUP MLA Tom Elliott Mr Elliott described the HM Revenue and Customs assertion that they can’t be named due to ‘taxpayer confidentiality’ as ‘absolutely outrageous’.
“It appears that if a filling station is found to be stocking illegal fuel in Northern Ireland, it’s raided but nobody gets charged, nobody’s found guilty and nobody’s named. So what’s to stop the same premises doing the same thing again a week later?
“Nothing. They have no fear of any serious consequences.
“The fact that there hasn’t been anyone jailed for fuel laundering here in 11 years speaks for itself.”
And, Ciaran Carson, a mechanic at Philip Carson Motors, Lisbellaw, said he has noticed a ‘steady growth’ in illegal fuel in cars that he works on – which can have an adverse effect on a motor.
“It can be unbeknownst to the customers who are driving from A to B in vehicles that they think have high quality fuel in them.
“With the economic situation in Fermanagh at this moment in time people will always want value for what they pay for and getting cheaper fuel is one of those things.”
He added: “Fuel that has been altered can lead to a number of different failures in vehicles in the long and short term, poor miles per gallon is one thing and then in time fuel pump or injector failures which can be quite costly to the customer.
“I wouldn’t advise people run there cars on it, it is better to price around with fuel stations on the border or even you local station where you know what your getting is the correct high quality fuel.”
Lilley’s Centra and Topaz Service Station owner, in Enniskillen, Una Lilley, welcomed the debate on illegal fuel.
“I am delighted to see our local politicians take on the issue of illegal fuel and I hope that this is just not a soundbite.
“I hope they will continue to keep it as a priority on their agenda.”
The store owner said that illegal fuel has been ‘crippling local forecourts’ in border areas for ‘many many years’.
“Legitimate fuel operators have been jumping up and down on this issue for years and have long since given up hope that anything would be done to seriously tackle the absolute unfairness of this practice on those of us who have abided by the law at all times.”
Lilley’s has ‘never engaged in the purchase of illegal fuel’, according to Ms Lilley, who added: “Therefore we have nothing to fear from this initiative that Mr Elliott is proposing and welcome any move that reduces the practice of engaging in the sale of illegal fuel which ultimately hurts us all.”
To read more.. Subscribe to current edition
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere