Thieves steal £1,000 worth of fuel during a two hour spree

North Yorkshire Police tracked down a van linked with over £1,000 worth of fuel theft, but the suspects are still on the loose.

They visited four different locations to steal fuel yesterday (10 February) including a Sainsbury’s Petrol Station on Huntington Road.

The suspects travelled as far as Knaresborough and Harrogate during their two hour spree.

Here’s how the incidents unfolded:

• At 6.30am, £275 worth of diesel was taken without payment from Sainsbury’s petrol station in Huntington, York.
• Not long after 8am, £279 worth of diesel was taken without payment from Tesco Express on High Street, Harrogate.
• At 8.12am, £282 worth of diesel was taken without payment from Sainsbury’s on Wetherby Road, Knaresborough.
• At 8.20am, £272 worth of diesel was taken without payment at the Esso Petrol Station on Wetherby Road, Harrogate.

Police used their ANPR Hub (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) to track down the vehicle, which was an old Ford transit van using various different number plates.

It was travelling towards the border of Lancashire before a patrol team located the vehicle.

The suspects then ran off and abandoned the van, which contained at least £1,000 worth of stolen fuel.

One of the people believed to be involved is described as being a white man, 5ft 8in tall, with a stocky build, and short hair.

He was wearing a black cap, dark jeans, black trainers with a white sole, a black t-shirt, and a burgundy jumper.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “We are appealing for any witnesses to any of these incidents or who may have seen the men once they had abandoned the van.”