Thieves steal heating oil from church
Highclere vicar conducted Christmas and a January funeral services without heating
A Highclere churchwarden has rebuked “despicable” thieves who drained a tank of oil twice in the past three months at St Michael and All Angels Church in the village.
Highclere beat manager Pc Matt Deery, confirmed that up to 1,000 litres of oil, which was used to heat the church, had been stolen between January 20 and 23.
Churchwarden Robin Lewin said that following the first theft, shortly before Christmas, the heating had failed on Christmas Eve, leaving the church cold over Christmas.
He said that the oil tank had been filled with 1000 litres of oil on November 2.
“Our normal usage makes me certain that some 500 litres of oil had been stolen on or about December 22 or 23,”
said Mr Lewin. Then, on January 20, the heating failed again and on checking the oil tank, Mr Lewin found that the stopcock had been tampered with. However, a sensor indicated that 300 litres of oil remained in the tank and so he restarted the boiler.
On January 23, though, the heating failed yet again. This time, the sensor indicated that the tank was empty and Mr Lewin found that the stop cock had again been interfered with.
Mr Lewin, who said that the church had now stepped up its security measures, speculated that the thefts had been prompted by a steep rise in oil prices, from 48p per litre in November, to 74p per litre at the end of December.
“The public think that the Government pays for churches to keep going, but how wrong is that. Every pound comes from parishioners, and we are now £360 out of pocket. The insurers are helping, but of course the insurance excess exists,” he said.
“We are dealing with a despicable element of our society, and it always seems to be the ordinary person who suffers.”
The vicar at the church, the Rev Christine Dale, said that the theft of the oil was a theft from the wider community.
“Many local people are very generous in giving financial support to cover the costs of running the church so that it may be a place where everyone is welcome.
“It was a great sadness, then, for us all when, as a result of these thefts – in addition to the damage, cost and inconvenience caused – we were unable to heat the church for the Christmas services and, after the second theft, for those attending a funeral service.”
A member of the congregation, Highclere villager Mary McQuillan, said that it was extremely cold when the heating failed in January and an impromptu service was arranged in the Dunlop room – a smaller room at the back of the church – warmed by electric heaters.
“These churches are difficult to heat at the best of times,” added Mrs McQuillan.
Ms Dale, whose North West Hampshire benefice also includes
Woolton Hill, said that St Thomas' Church had also been targeted by thieves, who stole lead from the roof of the organ loft in the autumn.
It was to be replaced with an alternative type of roofing, for which the church would have to pay a £500 insurance excess.
Pc Deery, whose beat includes Ashmansworth, East Woodhay,
Burghclere, Newtown, Ecchinswell and Sydmonton, and Litchfield, warned that police had seen a significant increase in fuel theft crimes over the past two years.
