Police forces spent almost £400k in the last five years repairing cars that officers had filled with the wrong fuel

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You have a right to remain red faced - police officers have cost UK forces £390,061 by topping up cars with the wrong fuel in the last five years.

That's according to a new investigation that said there have been 2,147 police misfuelling incidents since 2011.

This means more than one officer a day tops up his squad car with the wrong fuel type.

Misfuelling mishaps: 2,147 officers have put the wrong type of fuel in a police car in the last five years, according to an AutoExpress investigation

Automotive magazine and website, AutoExpress, issued a freedom of information request to forces around the country asking for details of fuel-pump fumbles made by officers.

The collective cost of just over £390k means each wrong-fuel top-up costs an average of £181,68 to drain and rectify the police vehicle.

The FOI request also found that the police spent a total of £378 million on fuel over the same five-year time frame - it means £1 is spent on repairing a misfulled police motor for every £970 forked out on diesel and petrol.

The biggest repair bill was issued to the Metropolitan Police, AutoExpress said.

However, with an almighty fleet of vehicles guzzling £64.6 million of petrol and diesel since 2011, this isn't much of surprise.

When you take fuel spent into account, the worst offender was Warwickshire - it spent £1 on misfuelling repairs for every £331.99 handed over to brim its cars.

But not all police forces have made the mistake, thanks to a little help from technology.

Both Greater Manchester Police and Northern Ireland forces have bunkered fuel sites with pre-programmed keys to ensure the correct type of fuel is dispensed.

AA spokesman Luke Bosdet told AutoExpress that misfuelled police cars represent a mere fraction of the 150,000 cases a year. 

He said: 'It’s an annoying and avoidable mistake that will take a vehicle off the road and place an extra burden on stretched resources.

'But it shows that police officers are human like the rest of us. 

'Stress and pre-occupied minds are often the cause of misfuelling mistakes, which fleet managers can try to beat with fuel-tank labelling and reminders.' 

You also have to take into account the fact that officers may be switching between different vehicles on a regular basis, making the possibility of topping up with the incorrect fuel more likely. 

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TOP-UP WITH THE WRONG FUEL AND HOW CAN YOU STOP YOURSELF FROM MAKING THE MISTAKE, ACCORDING TO THE AA

Misfuelling mistakes can cost up to £5,000, according to the AA.  Its Fuel Assist technicians have recycled 3.6 million litres of contaminated fuel since November 2007

The AA says someone puts diesel in a petrol car or petrol in a diesel car every three and a half minutes on average. 

What determines how bad the ramifications are depends on what you do immediately after making the blunder.

If you notice you've topped up with the incorrect fuel before driving away, DO NOT start the car.

PETROL IN A DIESEL CAR

This is the more common call out we get as petrol nozzles fit easily into most modern diesel filter necks. It’s also the more serious of the two mistakes.

Diesel acts as a lubricant, helping the fuel pump to do its job. If petrol’s mixed with diesel it has the opposite effect, acting like a solvent. The more it’s pumped through your fuel system, the more damage it will do. It can even result in you needing a new engine.

Common rail (or HDi) diesel engines are particularly susceptible to damage from misfuelling. You could be looking at new fuel pumps, injectors, pipes, filters and fuel tank.

DIESEL IN A PETROL CAR 

This is far less common as the diesel nozzle is physically larger than the petrol filler neck on most cars.

Around a third of the calls to AA Fuel Assist are for diesel in petrol, which can cause serious damage – particularly to direct injection (GDI) petrol engines.

FIVE TIPS TO STOP IT HAPPENING TO YOU 

If you’re used to driving several different cars, or fill up at loads of different petrol stations, here are a few tips to help you avoid the cost and hassle of misfuelling:

1. Don’t rely on the colour of the hose or nozzle. Check the label on the pump trigger and the fuel grade indicator on the pump 
2. While you’re getting used to a new car, or a hire car, leave yourself reminders that it’s different to your usual car 
3. Keep your concentration at the fuel pump. It’s not a good time to get distracted 
4. Try not to refuel when you’re in a hurry or stressed 
5. If you drive a diesel car and are worried about misfuelling, you can buy a device that fits into your filler neck to prevent you inserting the narrower petrol nozzle

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