At the meeting of the St Oswald and Ruyton XI Towns Joint Committee held in Rhydycroesau, PC Pete Dale said rural fuel theft is now one of the two fastest growing crimes and warned people to be on their guard.

"Fuel thefts and shed break-ins are the two main rising crimes in the area, and something we are addressing," said PC Dale, who added that the steep increase in the price of such commodities made these items increasingly attractive to criminals.

At the meeting, Councillor Vince Hunt said he felt fuel thefts seemed to be becoming more prevalent as the value of the commodity rose and suggested that more needed to be done to advise people in rural areas on how best to guard against such crimes.

Patrols stepped up

Across the border, North Wales Police announced in recent months they are stepping up patrols in the Wrexham South area after communities including Chirk were hit by more than 16 thefts of diesel fuel from haulage yards and farms in under a month.

A spokesperson for North Wales Police said over the past 12 months the number of fuel thefts had doubled.

It's a crime most easily carried out in quiet rural areas, but as NFU spokesman Oliver Cartright explained, these are the communities who can least afford it: "In rural areas such as this, the theft of red diesel and fuel from farms is happening increasingly regularly," he said, "With the cost of living rising, any such theft is a blow to the community and does not help farmers who are trying to get back to profitability."

The Advertizer has more on rural fuel thefts in this wek's paper, but we want to know your experiences - have you had fuel stolen or do you know someone that has?

How are you coping with the increasing cost of fuel? Let us know by leaving your comments below or email mark.hooson@nwn.co.uk