Crackdown on red diesel
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• Heavy penalties will be imposed by Customs on hauliers carrying red diesel in any disconnected additional tank from 1 January 1998.
The only exception to the new policy will be for tanks "permanently and solely connected to auxiliary machinery such as refrigeration motors".
Customs has previously turned a blind eye to vehicles carrying UK-marked rebated diesel in disconnected additional tanks when the fuel was said to be for use outside the UK.
But from 1998, its road fuel testing unit will check home and overseas-registered vehicles for UK and foreign-marked fuel. Customs will also be make sales audits on red diesel retail outlets.
A spokesman for the Freight Transport Association says: "We welcome the policy change insofar as it levels the playing field and makes life more difficult for the cowboys."
But he adds that Customs has been less interested in FTA proposals to rebate hauliers who can prove that they have used duty-paid (white) diesel for auxiliary uses.
E Customs has no estimates on the scale of illegal red diesel use, but in the financial year 1996/97 it detected 1,550 incidents of illegal red diesel usage. Tax on red diesel is just 2.58p/lit, compared with duty on white diesel of 40.28p/lit.