Warning: Oil thefts on the increase as prices soar

POLICE in Devon and Cornwall are warning rural households to lock up their heating oil tanks, amid a spike in thefts as the cost of fuel rockets.

Officers say rural households are being targeted by oil thieves who are exploiting the surge in energy prices by selling stolen fuel on the black market, according to reports.

With the price of oil continuing to rise, households have been stockpiling in their back-garden tanks. However, criminals are siphoning off fuel to sell themselves.

Suffolk Police have confirmed that £600 worth of heating oil was stolen from a tank outside a doctor’s surgery in Barrow this week. Days earlier, 1,100 litres of heating oil was stolen from outside a house in the village of Snape.

Other forces, including Devon and Cornwall, Aberdeenshire, West Mercia, Derry, Highlands and Islands and Lancashire and have also warned that thousands of pounds worth of oil has been stolen this week alone.

Rural householders are more likely to run their central heating systems using oil-fired boilers as mains gas is often not available in the countryside.

A Countryside Alliance spokesperson said: “A 1,000-litre tank can be drained within minutes and a tank that’s not properly protected will make an easy target for thieves looking to make some quick cash. Fuel thieves traditionally target farms during the longer winter nights as the extended cover of darkness gives them more opportunities to get away with the theft unnoticed.

“These criminals often use just a basic tube to siphon away the fuel but more sophisticated apparatuses – such as pumping systems – have been reported by police.” There are several measures which rural homeowners and farmers can use to minimise their chances of suffering the effects of fuel theft, according to Tuffa Tanks.

Keep it locked with a good quality lock – with some thieves employing pumping systems to extract fuel, it’s almost certain that these individuals will turn up with gear to slice their way through basic locks.

Invest in good lighting – most criminals use the cover of darkness to escape with their spoils so preventing

Fuel thieves traditionally target farms during the longer winter nights COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE

this with a reliable lighting system can go a long way to tackling fuel theft.

Employ CCTV – for years, petrol stations have been using CCTV to catch individuals who drove off without paying for fuel. These systems help dissuade thieves and, if oil is stolen, help catch the culprits.

Fence it off – keep your oil tanks close to your house or work premises so you can see any movement around the tanks with ease.

Be notified – Burglar alarms are useful to prevent access to property and might be a valuable asset if your tank is stored in an outbuilding or shed. Alternatively use an electronic level gauge that sends out an alert if the tank contents suddenly drop.