Domestic oil tanks raided by thieves

RESIDENTS in a luxury pocket of the Midlands have demanded action after a rash of raids on garden oil tanks has led to the theft of thousands of pounds worth of fuel.

Families living in luxury homes in the Earlswood Lakes area, near Solihull, are calling for more police protection following the thefts.

One householder’s oil was emptied twice within months by brazen thieves.

Raiders are said to be driving around the area in a large vehicle fitted with hosepipes to drain the oil from large open tanks in the gardens in the middle of the night.

One man, in Cloweswood Lane, Earlswood, complained the thieves had struck twice at his home within months, stealing gallons of oil worth more than £2,000. Residents use the oil for fuel because they have no gas supply. Several deliveries of oil are made to homes each year.

Now, householders have complained that the police are not doing enough to catch the thieves, and have called for more patrols.

One, who asked not to be named, said: “There is a large number of homes in the area around the lakes which do not have gas supplies and have to rely on oil for fuel and heating. They have had oil stolen from outdoor tanks and we have complained to the police. People complain that a vehicle fitted with hose pipes to siphon off the oil has been seen driving around roads bordering the lakes.”

One part of the Earlswood area is in Worcestershire, the other in Warwickshire.

Police spokesmen for both forces confirmed they had received complaints of oil thefts and said they were carrying out investigations.