A TESCO Esso petrol station is refusing to serve motorcyclists at six of its eight fuel pumps, saying too many of them leave without paying.
Motorcyclists must fill up at the two pumps closest to the checkout so that they can be stopped by a security guard if they attempt to leave, according to staff.
If a rider stops to fill up at any other pump, staff will not activate it.
Cars also use the two specified pumps. Riders must queue for one to become available at the busy forecourt, even when other pumps are free.
Because there are no signs on the forecourt indicating the policy, riders may already have queued at another pump.
There is also no facility to pay before filling up at the forecourt's pumps.
A team leader at the petrol station, on north London’s Camden Road, said the policy had been introduced because too many riders of both scooters and motorcycles ‘just fill and walk away’.
He said all the pumps were covered by CCTV but the two open to riders were also ‘near to the checkout so we can keep an eye on them’.
‘We can ask the security guard to stop them,’ he said.
He added: ‘The other ones at the back are by the road, so they just kick the motorbike and go.
‘So we have enough time to stop them, that’s why we ask them to come to theses pumps.’
He said it was a local policy which Tesco head office gave the branch the authority to make.
‘The store manager has the authority to make the local rules,’ he said.
The team leader said signs would be put on the forecourt today explaining the policy, which has been in place for at least a week
Visordown has asked Tesco for a comment.
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