A SCHEME to tackle the theft of heating oil and diesel from residential fuel tanks in part of County Durham is being planned.
During the past few months, a spate of fuel thefts have been reported from tanks in and around Cockfield, near Bishop Auckland.
Police say the incidents have caused severe hardship for those affected and the increase in fuel thefts is linked to the steady increase in the price of heating oil.
An average domestic oil tank can contain fuel worth several hundreds of pounds.
An application for £1,000 has been made to the Teesdale Action Partnership (TAP) for £1,000 towards the cost of an initiative to tackle the problem.
The TAP board was told the project would provide residents with a coloured dye to mix with their fuel, making it easy to identify.
Under the scheme, warning signs would also be provided along with alarmed padlocks which would activate if they were being tampered with.
The application for cash is currently being considered and a decision is expected by the beginning of May.
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