Warning as heating oil thieves target rural homes

RURAL homeowners are falling victim to thieves who steal heating oil, but many of the raids are going unreported, campaigners have warned.

More than 2,000 incidents of heating oil theft have been reported in the past three years, worth an estimated £5.2million, according to a report.

The issue is particularly acute in rural areas where a higher proportion of households rely on private oil storage tanks to heat their homes in winter.

A study by Boilerjuice, a heating oil firm, indicated that largely rural East Anglia was the biggest region for thefts.

However, it is believed the total number may be much higher than official figures indicate, as many victims are not reporting incidents to police.

And it appears that thieves can target several victims at once, with one in four victims saying their neighbours had their oil stolen at the same time.

Lee Cowles, chief executive of Boilerjuice, said: “While it’s not the most commonly reported crime, oil theft can be hugely disruptive and costly for the households that experience it.

“Speaking to our customers, we know that one of the biggest challenges is proving, or even noticing, that oil theft has taken place.”

The warning comes days after thieves removed heating oil worth £1,000 from a home in Dorset. Police said about 1,200 litres were taken from a residential storage tank at a home in rural Poyntington between Dec 16-18.

Police have warned homeowners to be vigilant in winter, when criminals know tanks are more likely to be full.