I have just received this reply from Shell,
Read and form your own conclusion. I would urge people to write to them !
Thank you for your email.
Firstly, may I apologise if this gave you cause to contact us.
As part of the Petroleum Licence conditions, Customer Assistants must
ensure that the person dispensing petroleum or LPG is aged 16 or
over, as it is against the law for anyone under 16 to have access to
fuel or the pumps. If the face of the person attempting to dispense
these fuels is obscured, the Customer Assistant can ask the person to
remove a motorcycle helmet, hood or baseball cap etc. A visual check
of this nature is often very helpful in determining if a person is of
the required minimum age. In addition, the Customer Assistant may ask
for proof of age, if they are still unsure.
As a matter of security, customers are asked to remove helmets before
entering the sales building to pay for the fuel.
We value your feedback on this matter and shall inform the relevant
department. Once again, thank you for taking time to write to Shell
and we appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns.