Police are appealing for witnesses after a quantity of heating oil was stolen from a home in a Suffolk village.
According to Suffolk Constabulary, the homeowner in Rattlesden believed the tank in the garden had been half full of oil.
It has been reported that the tank was drained and stolen sometime between 6pm on Sunday and 9am on Monday.
Earlier this year Suffolk's top rural police officer predicted an increase in heating oil thefts this winter.
Sgt Brian Calver has shared his "personal gut feeling" surrounding a rise in heating oil thefts in winter, saying that those who had been holding off and waiting for a price decrease would soon succumb to the colder temperatures.
He said: "It's also worth bearing in mind that heating oil sold by rogue traders may well contain other contaminants that could damage heating systems, leaving householders with significant repair costs."
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