Fuel Thefts in Watford

Watford has been the latest area in the UK affected by numerous fuel thefts and police have warned operators to step up their security.

The most recent thefts took place in the Carpenders Park area at O’Malley Haulage’s yard with two incidents occurring on the road between the early hours of 2nd and late afternoon on the 3rd August and reportedly siphoned around 1,000 litres of diesel from four trucks. The CCTV footage caught has been passed onto the police at Hertfordshire Constabulary. As well as this incident, diesel was stole from Carpenders Park Cemetery on the evening of 29th July from a locked compound.

Police are asking anyone with any information to get in touch with them on 101, or to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Haulage Business Suspended for Breaching Environmental Regulations

A 90 day prison sentence and 250 hour community service has been given to Gurbinder Sall, the boss of Kent skip haulage business Sall Skips for breaching environmental regulations.

The company based in Gravesend was prosecuted by the Dartford Magistrates Court for breaching the Environmental Permitting Regulations set by the Environment Agency (EA) back in 2010. There were 67 violations identified at the site, many of which Sall’s Skips were previously prosecuted for in 2009. These issues included the stockpiles of waste exceeding the permitted limit and the litter netting and bay walls at the site in need of repair and replacement. In June 2012, Sall was issued with a revocation notice to stop operations and prompt a waste removal of the site, but this had apparently been ignored and increased when another inspection took place in October 2012.

For more information on environmental regulations for tanks and fuel equipment visit OilStorageRegs.co.uk.

Technology to Prevent Lightning Striking Your Storage Tank

Colorado based Lightning Eliminators and Consultants (LEC) have been stressing to the public that the danger of your storage tank being struck by lightning is a real threat and the consequences can be catastrophic if precautions are not taken.

Normally conventional lightning protection companies install lightning rods on the tank, or a cable or conductor is suspended over the tank between two poles, LEC actually use a system of warding off lightning. According to Joe Lazoni, the vice president of LEC has said that those techniques are not effective for preventing the effects that cause the ignition of vapours. Conventional techniques are made to collect lightning strikes and bring energy to the ground, instead of warding off and preventing a strike such as the Dissipation Array System (DAS) that LEC provide. It is a lightning strike avoidance system that dissipates the charge that accumulates on the structure prior to a strike.

Lanzoni said that they encourage the public to take preventative measures towards lightning strikes as the consequences can be costly from fire damage and the damage to a tank stating “These tanks, once ignited can be extremely difficult to extinguish and they cause lots of smoke, fire and threatens entire communities”. LEC offer to design, engineer a protection system, manufacture and then install it for individual customers.

For more information visit Lightning Protection.com.

Worst Affected Areas of Heating Oil Theft

Oil prices have been fluctuating a great deal in 2013, but unfortunately heating oil theft has stayed at a high rate and becoming increasingly common in certain areas of the UK.

Some of the worst affected areas have been in rural areas around Swindon, Gloucestershire, Sussex, Hampshire, Montgomeryshire, Devon and Cornwall and Essex. In Essex in particular, over 61 homes have been raided in 2013 and around £27,964 of heating oil was reported stolen by thieves using drill tanks or sophisticated equipment.

These thefts have left multiple residents without any heating oil and police are upping their security measures as a response, alongside advising residents to increase their security on and in the vicinity of the tanks, such as padlocks or fencing.

Wealden District Commander chief inespector Dick Coates advised "The location of oil tanks can be a critical factor. Ideally they should be situated within sight of your home, but not visible from the road. If tanks are visible, plant hostile (thorny) shrubs around your tank so thieves will think twice before forcing their way through a prickly hedge” (note, these should be a minimum of 760mm away as per the oil storage reulations).

For more information on security for your oil tank visit our Oil Tank Security page.

Warning to Vehicle Operators Using Illicit Fuel

The HMRC have warned vehicle operators to think carefully if considering using illicit fuel, which comes after an illegal filling station and fuel laundering plant was caught in Northern Ireland, suspected of selling fuel for just £1.11 per litre.

The raid on the plant carried out by HMRC officers and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, found a large scale fuel laundering plant with the capability to produce almost six million litres of illicit diesel per year. The other unit that was discovered had a storage tank and fuel pump which is suspected to have been used to sell illegal fuel. Around 14,000 litres of illicit fuel was discovered on site as well as 14 metal cylinders used for the laundering process and approximately eight tonnes of toxic waste.

HMRC national oils co-ordinator Pat Curtis warned that “Vehicle operators thinking of buying this fuel needs to consider where their money is going as this fuel is financing and encouraging criminality”. HMRC revealed that the laundering plant equated to a potential loss in taxes of nearly £4 million per year. In December HMRC said that fuel laundering in Northern Ireland was under control.

For more information on avoiding diesel launderers visit the HMRC website.

Hampshire Town Targeted for Heating Oil

In just three months, figures have emerged that approximately 10,000 litres of oil have been stolen from storage tanks from Romsey and the surrounding Hampshire area.

The police believe that the sudden increase in thefts in the area is due to the spiralling prices now between 65p and 68p a litre. There have been 15 fuel tank thefts in Romsey in the first three months of 2013 and even churches have been targeted on a few occasions. As well as Romsey there have also been thefts in smaller more rural villages in the surrounding area and thefts as far as Andover, who have experienced eight domestic fuel thefts in March alone.

Sergeant Nelson from the Hampshire Police has said that they are actively trying to catch the culprits through the use of forensics at the scene and seeking witnesses to identify offenders. Nelson also urged those with heating oil tanks to step up their security measures to deter thieves.

For oil tank security please visit Commercial Fuel Solutions.co.uk.

Technological Developments For Fuel Tank Technology

Trials for new advanced technology designed for the concealment of oil tanks has proven successful in Texas this week.

To ensure that the new prototype works on large fuel storage tanks, a coating technology has been developed in which large mobile tanks are coated and therefore invisible to satellites. Using a spray rig system with “new proprietary Nano-technology light diffusion coatings” has proven that an illusion is created to make storage tanks disappear from radar and satellite technology displays.

The development is a fantastic leap forward in technology that objects as large as fuel storage tanks can be made almost invisible to satellites, as we have been able to coat smaller objects has been around for a few years but never an object as large as an oil tank. It is thought that this technology will be affordable for domestic use within the next few years, therefore taking oil security to a whole new technological level as thieves have been known to use sites such as Google maps/ Earth to identify and target fuel tanks.

For more information visit www.castagra.com.

Gangs Behind 200 Tractors Disappearing

British farms appear to be under threat as more than 200 high value tractors have increasingly disappeared from farms. The blame is resting on organised crime and gangs who are believed to be making themselves millions from selling the vehicles on abroad or for parts.

It seems that criminals are defying the law with fake documents to cash in on overseas markets, with Poland as the top destination. The tractors stolen from UK farms over December 2012 and January 2013 are worth around £25000, a 35% increase in tractor theft compared to the previous months.

Clive Harris, a vehicle security expert from the NFU Mutual Insurers said “The sudden increase in farm vehicle theft is extremely concerning as in the past we have recovered vehicles from Poland as the market is strong for stolen tractors. However at the moment, tractors are completely disappearing.” It is thought that lorries can get these stolen tractors out of the country in a matter of hours, and the sheer number of lorries at ports makes it impossible to security check every lorry for stolen tractors.

Insurers have said the way to tackle this growing problem is on-site security. John Deere is now manufacturing every new tractor in the UK and Ireland with the Construction and Agricultural Equipment Security and Registration Scheme (CESAR) datatag security system, as well as a unique immobiliser and key system.

For more information on keeping your equipment secure visit John Deere.co.uk.

Oil Thefts in Kent Prompt Police Warnings

A warning has been issued to oil tank owners of Kent from the police about following their crime preventing advice, due to a series of thefts in rural areas.

The recent freezing weather has obviously sparked home owners to fill their tanks to cope, but this makes them targets for fuel thieves, especially as “thieves might believe people are filling up oil tanks after using more fuel than usual during the recent cold weather” said Sergeant Alison Oates from Ashford district police.
It isn’t just homes that thieves have been targeting, but churches, community buildings and businesses.
The Kent police issued a series of tips such as keeping gates closed, having some form of security whether it is CCTV or lighting or a padlock, lockable cap or fitting. By taking security measures you are likely to deter criminals or at least prevent them from stealing much oil if they aware of your preventative measures.

Contact Kent Police on 101 if you spot any unusual or suspicious vehicles in the area or near known oil tank areas, or call 999 if you see a theft taking place.

Fuel Theives Target Lincolnshire

Vehicles on a Lincolnshire industrial estate have experienced fuel theft where it is thought that around 150 litres of diesel has been stolen from removal trucks.

Clockwork Removals site was broken into between Friday 25th and Monday 28th January, when no staff were at Fairfield industrial estate in Louth due to it being the weekend. However this is not the first incident on this site that operates four vehicles and one trailer off-site, and it is Clockwork Removals’ second theft in the last five years.
Toby Swain, the Clockwork branch manager said “The thieves are going on a spree across the industrial estate. Now it’s just a case of patching up the fence and making sure the CCTV is working”.

If you have any information please contact Lincolnshire Police on 101 or if you are looking for security for your fuel please visit Commercial Fuel Solutions.

Kerosene Prices

As Britain has experienced some unexpectedly cold spells this winter including snow, heating oil is obviously a concern to many who heat their homes with a fuel tank and heating oil.

It appears that the price of kerosene for your tank seems to be steadily dropping after a massive increase recently. With daily research of fuel prices, it has become apparent that the prices are finally dropping as kerosene today on the 7th February is on average 65p per litre, therefore helping to heat your home and being a bit less of a strain on your wallet.

For up to date fuel, oil and diesel prices visit www.fueloildiesel.co.uk where you can subscribe to receive daily fuel prices straight to your inbox via email.

Fuel Smuggling Reaches Crisis Point in Greece

Greece’s Finance Ministry have confirmed that the annual loss of money for fuel smuggling is €600m after a meeting about the issue this week.

The government have already tried to tackle this issue through the decision to equate taxation on heating oil and diesel, but it is not deterring smugglers. Fuel retailers have already criticised the government for not taking action sooner against smuggling and have blamed the controlling bodies inefficiency such as border crossing point, customs and the tax administration.

The meeting, chaired by Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras, considered how to combat the fuel smuggling issue. From the meeting a new plan has emerged for installing a system of controlling the fuel outflow from fuel station dispensers in Athens and Thessaloniki before the end of March this year, with hopes to be extended nationwide by March 2014.

As Britain Begins to Freeze, Demand for Heating Oil Rises

Now that we are halfway through January, the temperatures are dropping and many places in the UK are being affected by snow, the demand for heating oil will be rising to deal with the cold weather. Make sure you monitor the oil level of your tank to ensure you don’t run out. For an excellent way to monitor your oil levels you can purchase the Watchman Sonic from Commercial Fuel Solutions to keep an eye on your tank from indoors and will be able to see when your tank is getting low and needs refilling.
	With the demand of heating oil rising, also comes the risk of oil theft. Make sure you don’t fall victim to heating oil theft by taking preventative measures to deter thieves. Concealing your tank through the use of bushes, fences or even more security such as motion sensitive lights are an affordable but effective method to scare off thieves. A Watchman Alarm is able to monitor if the oil level in your tank has dropped dramatically within a short space of time (indicating a leak or theft) and the Alarm will alert you of this rapid decrease. So don’t risk it this winter, protect your heating oil.

Pollution from Oil Theft Damages the Environment

Pollution has now become an unfortunate added extra if you have been a victim of heating oil theft, which is why police have been urging people who have suffered from theft to report it not only to them but to the Environment Agency.

There is the danger that when your oil tank is broken into, they can often be damaged and what oil hasn’t been taken can leak. The Environment Agency notes that the theft of oil is damaging the environment by leaking out onto the ground and can even affect nearby water and underground water supplies. As well as this, the financial cost of cleaning up an oil spill can cost thousands of pounds.

Police have advised oil tank owners to up their security by concealing tanks, using locks or alarms, but the Environment Agency says that the impact of oil theft on water sources is overlooked and more needs to be done to stop this contamination. 

Speed is the key, so as soon as you have noticed a leak or theft, then contact the Environment Agency to ensure that it is dealt with properly and to prevent the oil spreading.