Gas provider is warning homeowners to keep their fuel safe after Lincolnshire is revealed as third for areas affected by rural crime

Lincolnshire homeowners are being urged to ensure their fuel is safe, after the county came third in a list of areas most affected by rural crime.

New figures from rural insurer, NFU Mutual, shows the cost of rural crime in Lincolnshire is £1.8 million each year with oil and diesel listed as the third most commonly targeted items.

Customer service manager at gas provider Calor, Jane McCluskey, said: “These figures demonstrate the seriousness and growth of heating oil theft for those living in rural Lincolnshire.

“It is sometimes assumed that oil thieves only target commercial buildings, but in fact residential properties are equally at risk.”

Heating oil is easy to target as storage tanks are quite large, and thieves need only to trespass onto the property, pierce the tank and then siphon off the oil.