Thieves target our restaurants
Restaurants in Horsham are being targeted by thieves stealing used cooking oil.
A number of eateries have reported thefts recently and are now urging other restaurants and takeaways to be on the alert.
Ercan Yuzey, owner of Zeytin restaurant in Denne Road, said: “The price of oil is extremely high at the moment and someone has been stealing from us.
“We have heard that a few other places in Horsham are having the same problem.”
Sussex Police say that the theft of cooking oil is a known crime in Sussex and they have had five reports of theft and attempted thefts in the past few weeks.
The Red Deer restaurant in Horsham’s Carfax is among those who have been targeted, along with The Cafe in Nightingale Road.
Many restaurants buy cooking oil from specialist suppliers who also collect the oil after use and pay the restaurants for recycling.
“The company pays us per litre for used oil,” said Ercan, “but they have not paid us for about six months because there has been no oil there.”
He has now installed CCTV cameras in a bid to catch the culprits.
He said he used to buy oil for around £26 for 20 litres but the price had recently soared to £36. Some suppliers now charge up to £50 for 20 litres.
It is thought that the thieves are taking the used oil to convert it into unregulated biodiesel for sale on the black market.
A spokeswoman for The Cafe near Horsham Station said that they now kept their used oil in a locked storeroom after having oil stolen several times in the past.
“Not only did they steal our oil, they were dumping other businesses’ empty containers and leaving a mess,” she said.
“The only way to counteract this is to store it inside.”
A spokesperson for Sussex Police said: “We would advise restaurants, cafes and businesses to check our crime prevention advice online here: https://www.sussex.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/keepingbusiness-safe-fromcrime/keep-burglars-outbusiness/”
Reports of the theft of cooking oil have also been made in other counties across England and in Scotland.