A recent spate of cooking oil thefts has prompted police to issue an urgent warning to remain vigilant.

Due to a requirement for companies to arrange to recycle their used cooking oils, some offenders are exploiting this process by pretending to be from an official company or by targeting unsecured premises.

Two thefts and one attempted theft have been reported in the past nine days across south Norfolk and Broadland.

The first incident occurred shortly after 5am at a public house in Ashwellthorpe on Sunday, March 5 where 40 litres of cooking oil was stolen.

The second incident happened at a public house in Wymondham sometime between March 2 and March 5 where approximately 140-150 litres of oil were stolen.

The third report was from a school in Sprowston on March 9 which involved two men claiming to be from a legitimate recycling company who were turned away before acquiring the oil.

The police are urging companies to review their security and cooking oil disposal processes and to follow its guidelines to prevent being targeted by thieves:

  • Ensure CCTV cameras and security lighting are installed as deterrents - motion sensors or dusk-to-dawn lighting that illuminates the area at night is a good investment
  • Install an alarm system or lockable gates to where your cooking oil barrels are kept
  • Regularly check your cooking oil levels to ensure theft has not occurred and use built-in locks on the barrels if available
  • Keep used oil barrels indoors if it is safe to do so or ensure they are out of reach of opportunistic thieves
  • Double check with your oil recycling company if 'workers' arrive but the collection was not scheduled for that day

If you are a victim of cooking oil theft, report it to the police on 101 or online. Call 999 in an emergency and a crime in progress.