Crooks tail heating oil tanker to target victim

Mar 1 2011 by Denis Brown, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

A PERTHSHIRE couple’s heating oil tank was drained by crooks less than 24 hours after a tanker delivery.

Police believe thieves tailed the tanker to the customers’ home in the remote village of Kirkmichael, 13 miles north of Blairgowrie on the A924, and returned later.

Intruders removed 300 litres from a storage tank in the cottage garden between 8am and 5.25pm last Thursday.

A Tayside Police spokesman said: “Since the prices of oil has gone up, heating oil has become a hot commodity for crooks, and there’s been a surge in the number of thefts, particularly down south,” he said.

“However, this is the only such incident we’ve had in the last few weeks, so we’re not looking at epidemic proportions just yet but are strongly urging consumers to beef up their security.”

Rural insurer, NFU Mutual, recently issued a red alert based on findings from its 2010 crime survey – it put heating oil at number six in a top 10 most commonly stolen items.

A spokesman said a combination of delivery issues during extreme weather conditions and a 70 per cent hike in oil prices had sparked a jump in oil-related crime.

“Our local offices reported incidences of heating oil and diesel being stolen shortly after delivery,” he said.

“It would appear thieves are actually following tankers from the depot and making a note of where fuel is delivered.

“This enables the thieves to return under cover of darkness and help themselves to the contents of full tanks.”

Security tips from NFU Mutual included installing lockable gates and using shrubs or fencing to obscure heating oil tanks from opportunistic thieves.

“People should consider fitting a locking cap to their tanks and checking oil levels on a regular basis,” he said.

“Where possible, install automatic movement sensor security lighting to cover your tank and surrounding area, and if tanks are in outbuildings or sheds, ensure these are kept locked. Be aware that if thieves have already stolen fuel from your tank they may return to steal replacement oil you order.”