Petrol thefts in Wood Vale

[Growlybear]

I just wanted to warn people in the Wood Vale area to be on the look out for petrol thieves. My husband's car has been broken into overnight twice this week whilst parked on our drive, and the petrol tank drained. I know there isn't much that can be done to stop a thief from breaking a locking petrol cap, but apparently at least one other person nearby has also been targeted, so this is obviously more than just an opportunist thief.

[Ladymuck]

How low some people sink. Not nice...sorry about your husband.

[iaineasy]

bloody crazy what next?? sorry about your luck!!

hugs

[SeanMacGabhann]

Well, when you say "what next?" it suggests it's new

when it isn't

[Love Monkey]

i live just off Bellenden Road in Peckham and it's happening over here to...

[DonGee]

Don't you have to suck on the tube first to get the petrol out? Lets hope the bastards suck a little too hard and choke... I know Petrol's gone up but feck me, how low..

[northlondoner]

Yeah, this really sucks,

[daizie]

Pikey behaviour..

[jimmy two times]

What fuels that kind of behaviour?

[Growlybear]

The petrol thief came back again last night - and left a perfect set of footprints in the snow and tyre tracks where they pulled up on the pavement outside.

[BQC]

Its happening on Upland Road too ! Twice. They're draining the petrol from our 2 Vespa's - so annoying. Has anyone informed to Police, or is it not worth it ?

BQC

[themaninblack]

Report it online here-

https://online.met.police.uk/

I used it when I had my tank drained in October. More than likely they will close the case due to lack of evidence, but at least it will be logged. If enough people in a given area report the same type of crime then I would imagine they would start to maybe think of doing something.

[Sue]

daizie Wrote:

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> Pikey behaviour..

xxxxxxxx

Pikey. There is no word more offensive to a traveller, says Cliff Codona, a Roma Gypsy and chairman of the National Travellers Action Group.

[BQC]

Done. This is making me think about selling my Vespa. Can't see how i can avoid future thefts ... bo-hoo

BQC

[Rhinestone Cowboy]

They hit me Wednesday night as well on friern fuel line cut on Scooter No idea why as it holds ?5 when filled up. little ffffers

[snowman]

Reported as well. Police called me following submission of the report online to check a couple of details, they said they would cross check against other reports in the area to see if there is a pattern. I suggest you report it if you have been a victim - enough reports and at least we might get some increased surveillance?....

[Growlybear]

I've reported each of the three occasions that Mr G's car has been drained. The Police were very pleasant and took details. They sent us a nice letter about the victim support scheme! I thought they would come to look at the footprints that the thief left in the snow the last time, but apparently they can't lift prints from surfaces like that.

Just a word of warning in case anyone catches the thief in the act and decides to tackle them - the last time they drained my husband's car, they obviously had a dog with them, judging from the pattern of the footprints and paw prints. We are fairly certain from car tracks in the snow that they were draining the petrol tank directly over the fence into a car parked on the pavement. We checked carefully to see exactly at what point our security light came on, and realised that it wasn't activated by someone coming into the garden by climbing over the front fence. Mr G now parks his car the other way round so the petrol tank is close to the house rather than the road, and there is no way that anyone can get to it without setting off the light. So far, we've had two weeks without another problem.

[Reg Smeeton]

I remember petrol siphoning being endemic in the 1970s when the oil price rocketed, and then it seemed to disappear in the 80s/90s (partly because it became standard for petrol caps to have locks, partly because petrol became relatively cheap again). This annoying fad will probably run for a while, just like copper and lead-stripping did a couple of years ago.

[BQC]

Out of intertest Reg, do you think crime is worse now or back in the 1970's ?

[samrigg]

Oh it has happened to me twice now (Mundania Road) in the last two weeks - I only filled up my scooter yesterday! Does anyone know any ideas of how to stop them?

[TJ]

dear Samrigg - can you PM me in relation to my thread on vehicle crime.

I have the council & police involved.

[ruffers]

samrigg Wrote:

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> Oh it has happened to me twice now (Mundania Road)

> in the last two weeks - I only filled up my

> scooter yesterday! Does anyone know any ideas of

> how to stop them?

Put a cheap motion activated alarm on your bike.

[BQC]

What did the police say TJ ?

[James Barber]

I'm told two arrests have recently been made in this area. Hopefully it will reduce the incidents.

[BQC]

Wow, that's good. Were they caught in-the-act ?