Home heating oil stolen from neighbouring properties in Rathmullan

Home heating oil has been stolen from two properties in Rathmullan.

The thefts took place between January 16 and 29 in the Market Square area of the town.

The gardens of two neighbouring properties were entered and the oil was stolen from the tanks.

One of the tanks had been unlocked and the other had been locked but the lock was cut.

Gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have observed any type of suspicious activity in that area between those dates to contact Milford Garda station on 074-9153060.

They are also appealing to anyone in the area who has a doorbell camera or CCTV footage that could be made available to gardaí to contact them.

The Garda confidential line may be reached on 1800 666 111.

Gardaí have highlighted several preventative measures that can be taken to avoid the theft of home heating oil.

A good quality closed-shackle padlock fitted to the tank opening should be your starting point, and oil levels should be checked frequently.

It is also advisable to arrange smaller but more frequent oil deliveries. Installing security lights can make a property a much harder target for thieves.

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The tank should be placed as close to the house as regulations allow and in view of one or more windows, as this may make a thief consider the risk of being seen too high.

At the same time, the tank should not be visible from the road to passing traffic.

The position of the tank can have a significant effect on how difficult a target it appears to a thief. Planting shrubs or building a fence can also help to screen tanks from public view.

You may also wish to consider fitting an alarm system that warns you if the oil level drops suddenly. Be especially vigilant following a delivery, as thieves may return to steal replacement oil after an initial theft.

Always take note of suspicious vehicles, including registration numbers, and any suspicious activity, and report these to the gardaí.