Latest oil theft in Caithness
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ANOTHER theft of heating oil has recently occurred in the Caithness countryside with the latest incident happening in Altnabreac.
This follows on from thefts in the Camster area and in the village of Lybster in the last few months.
A Police Scotland spokesman said: "We are appealing for information after the theft of a quantity of fuel from a tank outside a property in the Altnabreac area of Caithness. The theft happened between Wednesday, May 8 and Tuesday, May 14."
Officers would like to speak with anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity around that time in Altnabreac.
The incident is the latest in a spate of similar robberies in which thieves target homes they have monitored for deliveries of heating oil.
In February, a widowed pensioner in Camster was robbed of oil on two occasions. Jane O’Neill condemned the "callous thieves" targeting homes in the county.
“I know of at least 10 people this has happened to, including two ladies who have serious health issues,” she said.
“It’s a horrible thing to do as the first you realise is when your heating suddenly switches off even though you just had the tank filled up.”
Mrs O’Neill said she has been surprised at how many of her neighbours had also been targeted by oil thieves. “They must be following the lorries delivering the oil so they know when a tank has just been filled."
Anyone with information can contact police in Thurso by calling 101, quoting reference NJ934/19, or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
