Alert over thefts of farm fuel (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Alert over thefts of farm fuel

4:00pm Saturday 4th August 2012 in News

POLICE are warning farmers to take every measure possible to secure their fuel tanks as rising prices have seen an increase in thefts.
All farmers have storage tanks for the diesel fuel their tractors, combine harvesters and other farm motorised farm implements consume and in the case of the larger estates they have to have thousands of litres stored for high consumption periods like the harvest which is now under way in Wiltshire.
The Rural Crime Team has launched a hard-hitting campaign to get farms to install security systems on their fuel tanks which are sometimes in isolated positions that make them an easy target for thieves.
Rising fuel prices – although they are currently enjoying a downward blip – have caused a huge increase in farm fuel thefts including the well publicised incident at Manton where a suspected fuel thief who ran from police was found hiding in a pile of manure.
There are practical steps that farmers and other people who store large quantities of fuel can take to reduce the risk of it being stolen says the rural crime team in a bulletin issued this week.
Farmers are advised to ensure their fuel tanks are kept locked with close shackle padlocks that are resistant to bolt croppers; put up security lights; install alarms; secure fences around tanks; or install CCTV which is a deterrent and also handy in identifying thieves.