A change in Government policy combined with the soaring cost of fuel and cost of living crisis could drive diesel thefts across the country, according to a leading UK security firm. Kingdom Systems is warning motorists who purchase diesel to only buy from reputable places such as a fuel station over fears thieves may be benefiting from recent changes to red diesel laws. Ministers have stopped offering ‘red diesel’ to certain sectors, such as construction.
This shift in Government policy, coupled with the rise in fuel prices in recent weeks, could lead to a ‘tipping point’ where thieves look for tanks located away from fuel forecourts to steal from. Red diesel is practically the same as diesel except it has red dye in it. It was offered to certain sectors by the Government to support them and help stimulate their economies.
But the number of companies, groups and organisations who are able to access red diesel has now been slashed to meet new environmental strategies. Only certain industries, from April 1, 2022, including agriculture and rail, are still permitted to use red diesel.
Because the red dye element has now been phased out for many, there is growing concern thieves will know this and the stolen diesel won’t be as easily traced.
Craig Walton, Director at Kingdom Systems, said: “As ministers have now dropped plans to offer red diesel to construction sites and others, we’re worried it could lead to a tipping point where thieves now target these places knowing their gains will largely be untraceable. And this concerns us.
“We would urge all industries who have changed to diesel to be watching their tanks and supplies over the coming months to make sure thieves are not benefitting. It’s imperative to be monitoring over the coming months as watching stocks and supplies will be crucial.
“Motorists, meanwhile, need to make sure they’re purchasing from reputable outlets, as they could be helping the criminals by buying elsewhere.”
Thefts were not covered in a Government policy paper on the subject, which was published prior to the changes in November 2021.
At the time, a Government spokesperson said there would be a financial burden on the justice system arising from the changes, but this would be minimal. They said: “The Ministry of Justice is content that there would be negligible extra costs on the justice system arising from any prohibition.” There was no mention of thefts or the impact of thefts in what they said.
A spokesman for the Home Office has since told us: “The Home Office does not anticipate reforms leading to fuel theft at scale but will work closely with policing partners to monitor the situation.
“Fuel users storing diesel in tanks or in vehicles and machinery on their site should continue to take steps to ensure this is stored securely.”
