Advice issued after recent reports of rural oil thefts with soaring fuel prices
Calls have been made for rural home owners to protect their oil following recent reports of thefts across Northern Ireland.
In a post on social media, Police Fermanagh & Omagh urge residents to stay vigilant and ‘Don't let thieves leave you in the cold!’.
Posting ‘Quick Security Tips to keep your oil safe’ they advise residents to:
- Lock It: Use high-quality, closed-shackle padlocks on tank caps.
- Light It: Install motion-sensor security lighting around your tank.
- Hide It: Long term, use fencing or prickly hedging to keep your tank out of sight from the road.
- Alarm It: Consider a remote oil-level alarm that alerts your phone if levels drop suddenly.
They further advise residents to ‘report any suspicious vehicles or activity in your area to us immediately via 101 or indeed, via 999 if the crime is in progress’.
The advice is issued as the Countryside Alliance issues advice that fuel thieves are on the prowl prompting police warning to rural homeowners.
In a statement they say that homeowners who rely on heating oil have been urged to screen their tanks and install fuel alarms after a spate of thefts driven by soaring fuel prices.
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 from Suffolk Police.
The price of oil is continuing to rise, as the situation in the Middle East deteriorates. However, criminals are siphoning off fuel to sell themselves.
Adding that around 1.5 million households in Britain are not connected to the gas grid and rely on home heating oil.
Oil boilers are most commonly used by rural homeowners not connected to the gas grid, with the oil pumped from a storage tank located at the property.
Mo Metcalf-Fisher, Director of External Affairs at the Countryside Alliance, said: "It is sadly no surprise that criminals are seeking to profit off the back of a hike in oil prices by preying on rural communities.
"An oil 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.
"With oil being liquid gold right now, following theft preventative advice from local constabularies is essential."
They advise several ways to minimise the chance of fuel theft:
- Keep it locked
- Invest in good lighting
- Employ CCTV
- Fence it off
- Keep your oil tanks close to your house
- Be notified by burglar alarms
- Keep a regular inventory
Rural fuel theft is a serious issue and one which can seriously hamper a business.
This is especially true for farms which have been the victim of this offence before as criminals are more likely to try again if they've been successful. Investing in appropriate insurance should be a must in the event the worst should happen.