Cars parked in Marlborough’s residential streets are becoming the victim of an increasing number of petrol thefts, police warned this week.
While the town remains a safe place to live, Police Inspector Ron Peach told the town council on Monday: “There has been an increase in thefts from motor vehicles around the town, particularly the theft of fuel from motor vehicles.”
“Some of these offences have involved people drilling petrol caps and draining them and others have been siphoning off petrol. There has been an increase in this type of offence. I guess as austerity hits and people get tired of petrol price increases we shall have to accept more of this kind of thing.”
He revealed that vehicles parked in residential streets were under threat with two incidents in particular in Castle Court, Marlborough, and added: “Everyone needs to keep their eyes and ears open and feed back any information they have to local officers so that they can try to deal with it.”
He reported a rise too above any residual level of thefts of machinery from rural sites. A barn in Burbage had been burgled and a quad bike and motorcycle trailer stolen.
The thieves had also attacked an antique safe used for storing “bits and pieces” with an acetylene torch found on the premises.
“These people are determined individuals,” said Inspector Peach. “We all need to be alert to this sort of crime. That’s where personal CCTV for those kind of offences can be helpful.”
“A picture can be worth a thousand words, an image can go a long way to solving those sorts of crimes.”
