UK: Thefts of heating oil rise

[phantom power]

THE soaring price of fuel has prompted a surge in thefts of domestic heating oil from tanks outside homes and farms across the region.

...The oil thefts follows a trend of thieves taking items containing metals such as lead, copper and even platinum, which have all been soaring in value.

Scores of churches and schools have had lead stolen from their roofs, copper wiring has been stolen from alongside railway tracks. Catalytic converters have been stolen from vehicles parked outside garages and homes for the platinum they contain.

http://www.gazetteherald.co.uk/mostpopular.var.2258869.mostviewed.thefts_of_heating_oil_rise.php

[gateley]

1. A sign of the times -- and I fear it will get worse. nt

[Dead_Parrot]

2. I can believe that.

My father, in the UK, is the local churchwarden: about two months ago, some buggers lifted half the lead off the church roof. On Monday, having cleared all the insurance paperwork, builders erected the scaffolding required to replace the lead: On Monday night, aforementioned buggers used the scaffolding to nick the other half of the lead...

Ho hum. Sending him the article.

[phantom power]

3. Did they take the scaffolding?

They could have sold it to the US mint.

[Dead_Parrot]

4. Nah. This was quality aluminium...

...not the recycled tin you've got in your pocket. :P