Security alert for Yorkshire's rural communities as oil thefts start to spike amid fuel price increases
Date of alert:
Thursday, 17 March 2022
Crime Ref:
Force:
North Yorkshire Police
It follows a huge increase in the cost of oil, and other household fuels, as well as the cost of living.
The price for a litre of oil is now around £1, which some people in rural areas who are not connected to the gas network have to use to heat their homes, but, in some parts of North Yorkshire, such as the Esk Valley, quotes are as much as £1.25 per litre.
In September last year it cost around 41 pence per litre and in September 2020 it was around 28 pence per litre.
John Hayward-Cripps is the Chief Executive Officer of the national Neighbourhood Watch Network. He told The Yorkshire Post that he would be “very surprised” if oil thefts did not become a much more significant issue in a similar way to when lead prices increase and churches become crime targets.
