As one Defra agency appears to be finally learning the painful lessons of IT rollouts gone wrong, another seems to have walked into the same trap. Farmers tag fuel to catch thieves
FARMERS in Hampshire are mixing a ‘chemical tag’ into their diesel tanks to catch thieves red-handed after a steep rise in fuel thefts.
Police in Test Valley have teamed up with local farmers under the Farmwatch scheme to foil thieves after fuel thefts quadrupled last winter.
By adding just 100ml of the liquid to their tanks police say farmers and other members of the rural community can protect their fuel and put thieves off from stealing it.
Throughout this month police in Test Valley will be giving out free bottles of the chemical tag and stickers to state the tank has been tagged.
“Using this substance to mark fuel is a simple but very effective way of making it easily traceable and making it harder for thieves to re-sell,” said PC Bill Williams, from the Andover Rural Safer Neighbourhoods team.
He said the stickers would act as a further determent to potential thieves on the prowl for the increasingly valuable commodity.
Fuel thefts have shot up across the country over the last year and the crime now sits at number six on NFU Mutual’s ‘top ten’ of rural theft.
A spokesman from NFU Mutual said: “We’re seeing both farm diesel tanks and domestic tanks being targeted. Thefts often tend to happen soon after tanks have been refilled, which indicates that criminals are keeping a close watch on potential targets rather than making opportunistic attacks.”
Thefts are not only costly to farmers, but can also delay farming operations and damaged tanks can be an environmental hazard.
Mark Glover, a farmer in Test Valley, said it was time thieves met their match with the chemical tag.
“I think this is a great idea. With the rise in fuel thefts, we will definitely be tagging all of our fuel.”
NFU Mutual oil tank security checklist
- Install lockable gates and perimeter fencing on your property
- Plant shrubs or install fences to hide exposed oil tanks
- Check tank oil levels regularly
- Install automatic movement sensor security lighting to cover your tank
- Re-house fuel tanks to an area or building where it is better protected
- Ensure farm diesel tanks are correctly bunded to prevent spills causing pollution
- Note suspicious vehicles’ registration numbers and report them to the police
- If tanks are located in outbuildings or sheds, ensure these are kept locked
