Lorry driver threatened with knife as fuel theft gang attack truck in Doncaster

The driver is reported to have escaped injury but was left badly shaken by the incident, which is understood to have taken place in the area last week.

Lorry firm boss Barry Proctor, managed of Stoke-on-Trent based firm Barry Proctor Services, shared details of the incident on social media.

Under the heading ‘fuel theft,’ he wrote: “We had an attempted fuel theft in Doncaster.

"The driver was disturbed in the night, got out of his cab to be confronted by three men with barrels and pumping equipment.

"Two ran away, the third pulled a knife and threatened him, the driver jumped back in his cab with the third guy trying to break his driver’s side window.

"The good news – the police attended and managed to trace the gang to a house in Doncaster where they discovered barrels of fuel.

"Let’s hope this gang receive a long prison sentence to send a message to others who partake in this form of fuel theft as this is taking this to another level and putting the lives of our hard working drivers at risk.”

There has been a spate of fuel thefts across South Yorkshire as petrol and diesel prices rocket across the globe following Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine.

It is not clear exactly where in Doncaster the incident took place.

We have contacted both Mr Proctor and South Yorkshire Police for details.