POLICE have urged business owners to be vigilant following a rise in cooking oil thefts across Gloucestershire.

Thieves have been stealing cooking oil from restaurants and pubs across the county and then use it to make unregulated biodiesel which they then sell for a profit.

These offenders often drive transit vans and store large drums of oil in the rear of the vehicle.

Officers have issued the following guidance to prevent this crime from happening:

  •   Make sure you and your staff members know who your grease collector is, what vehicles they use and what uniforms they wear.
  • Know what days of the week your grease collector attends.
  • Ask for ID if you believe people claiming to be contractors are suspicious.
  • Keep used oil safely locked up in a storage area while you await collection.
  • Mark, tag or write on your oil containers. This can help police to identify them if they are stolen and later recovered.
  • Consider fitting an alarm to any external storage facility.
  • Check your oil levels frequently to ensure they aren’t fluctuating drastically between service visits.
  • Contact your supplier about the possibility of lockable tubs and drums to prevent siphoning.
  • Consider appropriate security lighting and CCTV. Even fitting dummy CCTV cameras and displaying CCTV signage may be enough to act as a deterrent.

Police have also urged businesses owners to report any suspicious activity.

Information can be provided to the police by completing an online form or by calling 999 if a crime is in progress.

Alternatively, information can reported anonymously through independent crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111.