North Yorkshire Police has identified a van linked with four fuel thefts in the space of two hours, via its ANPR Hub.
The four incidents which took place on February 10 were:
• At 6.30am, £275-worth of diesel was taken without payment from Sainsbury’s petrol station in Huntington in York
• Just after 8am, £279-worth of diesel was taken without payment from Tesco Express on High Street in Harrogate
• At 8.12am, £282-worth of diesel was taken without payment from Sainsbury’s on Wetherby Road in Harrogate
• At 8.20am, £272-worth of diesel was taken without payment at the Esso Petrol Station on Wetherby Road in Harrogate.
Once the force’s ANPR Hub pieced together the intelligence reports, police identified the suspect vehicle - an old Ford transit van - travelling towards the border of Lancashire.
A patrol team located the van but the suspects ran off and abandoned it. Police recovered the van and in it was 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, short hair, wearing a black cap, dark jeans, black trainers with white soles, black t-shirt and a burgundy jumper.
Police are appealing for any witnesses to any of these incidents or who may have seen the men once they had abandoned the van.
In a statement police said: “Enquiries are ongoing to identify the suspects but the excellent investigate work our ANPR Hub completed in identifying the vehicle, means there’s one less vehicle on our roads helping to facilitate crime.”
