Yorkshire school hit by heating oil theft

17 May 2012

Posted by Kim Bardsley

A primary school in Goole has been hit once again with a heating oil theft - the fourth time the school has been targeted in the past two months.

Pollington-Balne Church of England Primary, in east Yorkshire, has had more than £10,000 worth of heating oil and lead stolen in the past three years.

The school's headteacher, Hayley McNeill, has claimed that the thieves are simply "taking money from children's education".

Speaking to the BBC, Ms McNeill said: "We don't have an underground gas pipe near the school and so we rely on heating oil."

During the two-month period, some £2,000 of heating oil has been taken and the thefts were pushing up the cost of the school's insurance premiums.

Earlier this year, Hunter Hall School at Frenchfield, Penrith, had 1,000 litres of heating oil stolen by thieves. The theft took place during the half-term holiday in February.

If you have been the victim of a heating oil theft in the last year, visit BoilerJuice's new oil theft watch service to make an anonymous report or to register for free oil theft alerts in your area.