Oil price surge sparks crime alert

Local residents who use oil for their households are being advised to check their security measures as criminals seek to take advantage of the increase in prices.

Prices have shot up due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, feeding a demand for cheaper oil and playing right into the hands of thieves looking to cash in. 

We have teamed up with Dyfed-Powys Police to share some simple tips that make life more difficult for thieves:

• Be aware of your oil levels and check frequently, consider installing a tank alarm, which alert owners of sudden changes in fuel levels
• Where possible keep your levels low and the same when refilling.
• Speak to your supplier with regards to a more frequent but smaller delivery
• If you have a plastic tank, consider erecting fencing around the tank with one end hinged and locked for filling purposes. The fencing should be fixed to solid posts and should be set off the tank - approx 12 inches on all sides. The same should be fixed to the top as well.
• If you have a steel tank, then fit a quality anti-cut close-shackled padlock.
• If you have outside security lighting, then please ensure that the system works and that the light sensors have been adjusted correctly to detect movement.
• Consider installing CCTV to cover where the tank is located.

Any suspicious activity can be reported to the police either online at: https://bit.ly/DPPContactOnline, emailing 101@dyfed-powys.police.uk, or by calling 101.

Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555111, or visiting crimestoppers-uk.org

Always call 999 in an emergency.