The cost of living crisis and spiralling cost of fuel, alongside a change in government policy, could spur diesel thefts nationwide, a leading security firm has warned.
Kingdom System is warning drivers to only buy diesel from reputable places, like a fuel station.
This is because there are fears that thieves may benefit from recent changes to red diesel laws, as ministers have stopped offering ‘red diesel’ to certain sectors, such as construction, reports Leicester Live.
The change in government policy, alongside the recent increase in fuel prices in recent weeks, might lead to a 'tipping point' with thieves looking for tanks far from fuel forecourts to steal from.
Red diesel has red dye added to it, which is its only distinguishing factor from regular diesel.
It was introduced by certain government sectors, to boost their economies.
However the number of companies, groups and organisations who are able to access red diesel has now been reduced in accordance with new environmental strategies.
From April 1, 2022, certain industries including agriculture and rail, were permitted to use red diesel.
However, the red dye component has been phased out for many.
Now there are concerns that thieves understand this, and the stolen diesel will not be able to be traced easily.
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.
