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Fuel siphoning to rise as economy stutters
Page 6
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By Joanna Bourke
IN THE WEEK when a leaked letter from the Home Office predicted that as the credit crunch bites, the levels of crime in the country could increase, police have revealed that fuel siphoning in Lincolnshire has risen by 30% in the past three months.
The Home Office research said that as the economy takes a downturn, crime is likely to go up. It points out that in the last recession, violent crime increased by 19%, something that Home Office minister Tony McNulty describes as "blindingly obvious".
The evidence of how a slow economy can affect crime figures is clear to see in Lincolnshire. where police expect fuel siphoning to continue rising as winter approaches.
This warning comes after the theft of 250 litres of diesel from a foreign lorry which was parked up on the Al at Dry Doddington, near Grantham.
The fuel was stolen from the Volvo tractor unit as the Hungarian driver slept, between 1 lpm on Friday 22 August and 5am the following morning.
A spokesman for Lincolnshire Police says fuel siphoning between May and August was up 30% on the same period in 2007.
"There has been more of a problem since the hike in fuel prices and it will be more common in the winter. Drivers must avoid isolated lav-bvs. Other firms in Lincolnshire have fallen victim to fuel siphoning, including Swineshcad-ba d HS Logistics. Assistant transport manager Steve Pickering, says that before the firm installed CCTV systems and fences, the crime was happening daily. He adds: "It was getting ridiculous."
Anyone with any information regarding the Grantham fuel theft is asked to call Lincolnshire Police on 01476 402222.