Fuel thefts blamed on petrol prices

SOARING petrol prices are today being singled out as the sinister catalyst for a spate of crimes in two Suffolk villages.

Residents in Pin Mill believe several of their cars have been vandalised during attempts to steal petrol from them.

Police are appealing for information after receiving reports that the petrol caps of three cars in a residential car park in Pin Mill Lane had been tampered with last week.

Meanwhile, in Chelmondiston, a small amount of diesel had been siphoned from a white Peugeot estate at The Woodlands, while the fuel cap and flap were broken off a beige Vauxhall Astra parked on Main Road.

Tanya Swarbrick, who lives on a barge on the River Orwell near Pin Mill Lane, believes her car was vandalised because of the rising cost of fuel.

She said: “It is almost certainly due to petrol prices. Everything is so incredibly expensive. When heating oil prices shot up, there were thefts of heating oil.

“Now petrol is sky high, along with food and bills, I have a degree of sympathy for these people, but it is not right they have stolen.

“It is sad as a community and as a society that there are people who have to thieve or feel it is acceptable to do so. It could be youngsters or older people strapped for cash or people who are selling it on.”

Geraldine Burningham, who also uses the car park in Pin Mill Lane, reckons there were around seven cars which had the petrol caps smashed off.

She added: “Someone had also seen a car in Pin Mill Lane with diesel all around it. The thieves are just opportunists. It is probably kids who want petrol for their own cars. I bet it is someone not bothering to work.”

Police are urging anyone with information to call Pc Chris Garrod at the East Babergh Safer Neighbourhood Team on 01473 613500 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Have you been a victim of petrol thefts? Write to Your Letters, The Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send us an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk