Police urge homeowners to secure heating oil amid rise in thefts nationally

Police are urging homeowners to secure their heating oil following a reported increase in thefts nationally.

With petrol and diesel prices currently rising, the Gwynedd South policing team is advising people who own oil heating systems to be vigilant.

PCSO Shannon Hopcroft said: “Most thieves are opportunistic and will target fuel tanks where there is little security in place and the chance of getting caught is low.

“Please follow the list of advice below as we would encourage all owners of oil heating systems to consider doing all you can to protect your heating oil and to make things as difficult as possible for potential thieves.”

Security measures you can take include:

• Floodlight covering the tank location.
• Padlock on the cover.
• Structure/wall around the oil tank.
• Roof on top of any tanks/structures (out of view of satellite mapping/drones).
• Tank alarms which alert owners of sudden changes in fuel levels.
• CCTV covering the tank or access to where the tank is located.