Not specifically about the trade, but containes quotes from a former regular contributor on here, and a representative from Mansfield.
I'd take all the figures here with a pinch of salt, though.
Huge rise in number of 'dine and dash' bill dodgers in Nottinghamshirehttps://www.chad.co.uk/news/people/huge ... -1-9732785The number of dine-and-dashers running off without paying in Nottinghamshire has more than doubled in three years.
Industry representatives say leaving without paying for services including meals, petrol, or taxi journeys is akin to "stealing someone's wages", and could leave innocent people unable to provide for their families.
Home Office figures reveal Nottinghamshire Police recorded 2,106 making off without payment offences in the 12 months to September 2018.
This was an increase of 156 per cent compared to the same period in 2014-15.
Despite the rise, the proportion of offenders being charged by police has fallen.
In 2014-15, the police brought charges in five per cent of cases.
But by 2017-18, this had fallen to two per cent .
Making off without payment is when a person dishonestly leaves despite knowing that payment is due on the spot.
Offences have risen by 48 per cent across England and Wales in the last three years, while the proportion of offenders being charged has fallen from just under five per cent to less than two per cent .
Mike Cherry, chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses said the rise was being exacerbated by police cuts.
He said: “This can’t be allowed to continue – lots of businesses have very tight margins and it’s time to stop tolerating opportunistic thieves taking food off the family table.
“If the police are not able to meet the needs of businesses across the country, then the Government should step in and give the authorities the funding they need to tackle this problem."
The British Oil Security Syndicate, which helps recover debts for petrol stations, estimates that drive-offs at garage forecourts cost retailers around £20 million a year.
Some police forces claim such incidents are a civil rather than criminal matter and refuse to investigate, it added.
Executive director Kevin Eastwood said: “What we would stress with the police is that we don’t want to waste their time and we don’t want them to be debt collectors.
“But we do want to work with them to drive down forecourt crime and stop criminals who are active in our communities."
Wayne Casey, from the National Taxi Association, said there is an "obvious difference" in the way some police forces approach fare dodgers.
He said: "The police are being stretched to the bone so it’s annoying for taxi drivers but you can understand it.
"Drivers do tend to take it personally though, because you’ve essentially just given up your time to take somebody home for free."
The vast majority of cases in Nottinghamshire – 83 per cent – were closed without a suspect being identified.
Chris Riley, a representative of the hackney carriage trade in Mansfield said: "The number of 'runner's who make off without payment has most definitely increased in the last 12 months, as people in the town get increasingly desperate for money.
"As a community we see it a dozen times a week or more, and it's no different to someone going into a shop and stealing their products.
"Many hackney carriage drivers have resorted to asking for fares upfront to avoid it."
A Home Office spokesman said: "These offences place a significant burden on businesses, both in terms of financial loss and staff resources.
“We expect the police to take all reported crimes seriously and it is the responsibility of chief constables and Police and Crime Commissioners to make sure criminal cases are investigated properly."
He added that police forces had been given their largest funding increase since 2010.
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