Oil thefts rising says councillor

Thieves have become more organised when stealing home heating oil, a Derry councillor has said.

Billy Page, who represents Ballymagroarty and Hazelbank, said there have been up to a dozen actual or attempted thefts in the past fortnight. "They're following the oil tankers into the estates, taking notes of who it's been delivered to, and coming back late at night to empty the tanks."

The police are also warning about a new level of sophistication in oil thefts.

PC John Wilson said they had received several calls over incidents not only at homes in the Foyle area, but also a rise in commercial properties being affected.

"Thieves have recently turned their attention to larger storage installations where thousands of litres are kept, so there is a need for everyone in the community to be vigilant.

"Tanks are usually found in areas that are out of sight, and more consideration should be given to their location and to moving them away from the perimeter of the property," he said.

"As criminals have been using pipes up to 60 metres long, access to storage tanks needs to be made much more difficult than it is at present, if thefts are to be prevented."