Hampshire Police has issued some top tips for those in the hospitality industry on the Isle of Wight amid a serious rise in cooking oil thefts across the region.
As previously reported by Island Echo, 2 people were arrested last month on suspicion of being involved in the theft of oil from a number of pubs and restaurants locally.
The duo, aged 44 and 19 and both from Enfield in London, have been bailed until the New Year as Police continue their investigations.
It has been revealed that reports of cooking oil thefts have increased threefold in 2022 when compared to 2021, with several investigations ongoing.
As well as oil drums being stolen, many of the individuals are linked to organised crime and are using falsified identification or fake business details to fraudulently collect oil, which is then processed into bio-fuel and sold on.
With this in mind, Hampshire Constabulary is offering advice to those in the hospitality sector.
• Check you are using a legitimate waste collection company. Be wary of bogus collectors touting for their business.
• Check any ID and make sure they are legitimate before handing over your oil. The waste carrier should be a Registered Waste Carrier listed with the Environment Agency.
• Inform and train your staff to be vigilant and challenge suspicious people on the premises.
• If possible, store new and used oils indoors.
• If you are using an external shed or container make sure it’s secure with a Secure by Design approved hasp and staple with a heavy duty padlock.
• Where possible, restrict vehicle access to waste fuel areas with the introduction of bollards barriers or a security fence.
• Look out for each other and be a good neighbour; talk with neighbouring businesses, share information and consider joining the local Pub Watch or Business Watch schemes.
• It is worth considering the installation of CCTV and alarm systems, and checking oil levels regularly.
You can read more detailed information about security measures, and about cooking oil theft generally at https://www.securedbydesign.com/guidance/crime-prevention-advice/theft-of-cooking-oil.
If you have information about this type of crime, report it to Police on 101 or via the report tool on the www.hampshire.police.uk website. Dial 999 if a crime is in progress.
As with ALL crime now, the Police and Courts instead of doing their job as they are well paid to do, instead, put the onus on the victims of any crime to ‘fit security cameras’ ‘buy expensive lockable protection’ ‘don’t walk alone at night’ etc etc.
Yet they demand more and more council tax etc from us to fund these failing services and our Government keep adding to the criminal festering pot by doing nothing to prevent the worlds worst, unchecked arriving daily to add to the growing prison population, so much so, that now, all criminals know they are unlikely to be jailed for long IF at all.
If the Police are failed by the courts, and the courts are failed by HMG by allowing in too many people, the cure is to stem the flow
Goodness me who would have thought used oil could be such a lucrative commodity. Nice to see they have been given bail to continue their side line.
Apart from not having the official paperwork, what evil are these folks doing?
Is it a crime to contribute to reductions in fossil fuel consumption?