It’s been declared that takeaways and restaurants are amongst the first to be targeted by burglars to steal their used cooking oil. Recent calculations show that in the UK, up to a fifth of used cooking oil may have been stolen so far and is set to rise.
Leading supermarkets like Morrisons and Tesco have been pushed to introduce regulations on purchasing cooking oils within their stores. Due to the increased cost of fuel rising recently to record highs, police are reporting an expected national increase in cooking oil theft to make unregulated biodiesel for diesel engines.
The police are encouraging shop owners to report to their local police station if their property has been targeted by crooks looking for cooking oil. If you need any help or guidance, the police have published a checklist of instructions to follow to reduce the chance of robbery. This includes storing waste oil containers out of view from the masses and ensuring all storage areas are locked and covered with CCTV, motion sensors and alarms.
Humberside Police stated, “You may wish to consider this if you are the victim of a high number of thefts”, and have several officers visiting local businesses to present expert advice. Crime Reduction Officer James Steel insists anyone who witnesses a robbery taking place call 999, and for those requiring crime prevention guidance contact their local police station.
