Callous oil thieves strike twice and drain Lybster family's heating supply – 'We have no heating and no hot water now'
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A single-parent mum with three teenagers in the house talked about her major financial struggles after thieves siphoned off her heating oil twice over a fortnight.
Police Scotland is currently investigating the matter after Donna Hill reported that the oil tank in her back garden was drained on two occasions – the most recent being when it was refilled after the first theft and then drained again within two weeks.
"So that night (January 19) my Labrador dog Shadow woke me up – he was growling and barking at the bedroom window. It was more than usual as he sometimes does it to cats and sheep out the back. He just wouldn't stop and I shouted at him to go to sleep," said Donna who has been living in Lybster for three years.
"The next day I went to have a shower and there was no hot water and it was very cold in the house as the heating normally comes on early in the morning. I checked the thermostat and that was normal, so I then went outside to check the oil and there was no oil in the tank."
Donna said she had an oil delivery of 500 litres at the end of November last year and there was already 200 litres in the tank. She said she was not due another delivery until April and felt "it just wasn't right" so she contacted her supplier, Simpsons Oils, who confirmed the date of her next delivery.
"I checked with the heating engineer and asked if I could have used all that as it had been a bad winter but he said there was no way I could have used that amount. Next, I phoned the landlord and asked if there was a leak and they said no. My next call was the police and then I remembered my dog had been barking that night at around two or three in the morning so must have heard them."
When she spoke to neighbours they confirmed that they had heard some unusual noises in the night. She says that she is the "fourth person in the village" to have been targeted by the oil thieves recently and she spoke to a Dunbeath resident who had 300 litres stolen and then a Dunnet householder who also fell victim to the criminals.
Donna thinks she had around 300 litres stolen on the first occasion and that it must have been a "fairly large" vehicle used in the operation in order to siphon off such an amount.
"After that was stolen on the 19th, I got a delivery from Simpsons on the 24th of January of 500 litres. Five days later that was nearly gone. They did it twice. That was the biggest shock and we just couldn't grasp it. There was just four inches of oil left in the tank."
She reported the second theft on Monday, January 29 and thinks it happened sometime over the weekend just before that – just a few days after the delivery.
She lives with her two daughters along with one daughter's partner who are all teenagers. The family are struggling to make ends meet now. "It's extremely difficult for me and being a single parent with the children it takes a long time to save for the oil. We have no heating and no hot water now and sit with electric blankets over ourselves. It's just awful."
After Donna was targeted, Police Scotland sent out a press release on January 22 which stated: "Police in Caithness remind residents to ensure their heating oil tanks and red diesel containers are padlocked and covered by a camera, due to a recent theft.
"In order to identify people involved in thefts, please ensure any cameras are placed to capture faces and vehicle number plates. Your actions may deter a theft from occurring on your property.
"Do not wait until after the theft has occurred before you put security in place as it will assist in tracing the suspects and prevent significant financial loss."
Donna says her landlord has offered to buy a security lock for the tank and she intends to fit a camera to record from her back window that will be triggered if any movement is detected.
"We've lost nearly £1000 and we have to save up for that oil. We just can't afford another delivery. For it to be stolen once is hard enough to live with but to have it taken twice within such a short time is just really, really bad. It seems very organised and there are just too many happening.
"I just don't understand how they can do that to another person."
Many reports of oil theft have been published in our paper but usually the thieves siphon off small amounts that often go undetected for some time. Lybster and the surrounding area have been targeted on numerous occasions.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Around 10.45am on Saturday, 20 January, 2024, we received a report of the theft of heating oil from a property in Golf View Place, Lybster.
"Enquiries are ongoing."
Anyone with information about these thefts and/or wishing to report suspicious activity, contact Police Scotland on 101 or via the Police Scotland website at www.scotland.police.uk/contact-us
If the theft is in progress and in an emergency, call 999. Alternatively contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
