By East Trans owner appealing for information after £36,000 of fuel stolen by ‘organised group’
A North East Lincolnshire transport provider has taken to social media to appeal to the public for help after a massive amount of fuel – £36,000 worth – was stolen from their site in Stallingborough.
The owner of East Trans, Paul Hickling, said the fuel was stolen in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
He wrote in a Facebook post: “The vehicle broke into our neighbour’s yard and used a hose to remove the diesel into the back of a rigid vehicle which we believe had intermediate bulk containers inside.”
Paul said the ‘worrying part’ is that the thieves didn’t only commit the crime once – they returned to the site for a second time to steal more fuel.
“The worrying part is the vehicle left our neighbours yard at 2:15am and returned at 2:35am for a second trip and then left at 4:10am,” he wrote.
“With only being gone 20 minutes and would’ve had to offload the vehicle, this means it’s VERY WORRYING for local businesses that this vehicle was in our area offloading.”
Now, the business owner is asking for other local businesses to check their CCTV footage to see if a vehicle passed in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
He is offering a reward for any information which helps catch the thieves.
“Can I ask any local businesses to check their CCTV to see if a vehicle passed at these times.
“The vehicle we believe was a white rigid with dark sides, which we believe was possibly 18-tonne rigid.
“We are offering a REWARD for information and I am appealing to local businesses no further than 10 minutes from our site at Stallingborough to help check their CCTV.
“These thieves operated whilst we had security patrols on the site and drivers fuelling at the pump. BEWARE – this is an organised group.
“Next time, this may be your business. Please share with as many local businesses.”
A spokesperson for Humberside Police said: “Officers are investigating the reported theft of a large amount of diesel from a business on Trondheim Way, Stallingborough.
“This is believed to have occurred between midnight and 4am on the morning of Wednesday 30 June.
“Extensive enquiries are ongoing, however we are asking for anyone in the area who witnessed this or who has information or CCTV to contact us on our non-emergency number 101 quoting crime reference 16/66849/21.”
