5:00am Tuesday 30th June 2009
By Christine Sexton
A COMPANY is offering a £1,000 reward for help in tracking down thieves who stole thousands of litres of fuel from their coaches on a Rochford business park.
More than 7,000 litres of fuel was stolen from Stephensons of Essex, based at Riverside Industrial Estate, South Street, Rochford – which is just yards from the town’s police station.
The diesel was syphoned from fuel tanks between 1am and 3am last Wednesday, and loaded into two vans, a white Ford Transit and a blue van with a Luton-type body.
Lyn Watson, the company’s financial director, said: “Diesel theft is becoming an increasing problem on the Riverside Industrial Estate.
“Incredibly, there is a police station adjacent to the entrance to the estate, however the thieves know it is not manned at night, and therefore is no deterrent.”
Managing director, Bill Hiron, said CCTV footage of the theft will be passed to police.
He added: “We will now be stepping up patrols and security procedures to ensure any future thieves are intercepted.”
The company is putting up a reward of £1,000 for information leading to the identification and conviction of the people responsible. If anybody saw the vans leaving the estate, please contact PC Jamie Willetts, on 0300 3334444.
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