Spate of diesel thefts

Published: Wednesday, 27 October 2010

WITH the ever increasing costs of diesel, theft from boats is becoming a regular occurrence, with the Shropshire Union Canal the latest target for thieves.

Boater Jimmy Lockwood told us he realised his diesel had been syphoned out of his tank when he switched on his diesel heater and nothing happened, though the tank should have been over half full.

Norbury Junction

He had been moored around Norbury Junction for a while so ascertained that the theft must have occurred in that area.

Boater Kay Dawson too has heard that there has been a spate of thefts of diesel from boats moored along the Shroppie on rural farmland North of Norbury over the last few weeks.

Worrying

There is something else that worries Kay when purchasing diesel, and that in some cases the form that is filled in shows purchases made by many boaters, with all the details listed, for anyone to see.

This means that the boat name, licence number and how much diesel is purchased is there for others to view, and remarks Kay:

"Surely this personal information would come under the Data Protection Act, and diesel sellers would also be obliged to store this information under this Act, so surely they are actually breaking the law—I work in a shop and no personal information is allowed to be left lying about for prying eyes."

Such information openly at view would be very useful for thieves on the look-out for full diesel tanks.