Thieves have drained a devastated Angus couple’s oil tank for the second time in a month.
The brazen theft has left Jill and Allan Stevenson shivering again after they had to endure a miserable Christmas when the oil tank at their home near Glamis was completely drained.
Plans to install security cameras have now come too late after they returned home on Thursday night a month to the day since the first theft to discover another 500 litres had been siphoned off in a daylight raid.
Office administrator Jill, 43, said the latest theft had left her stunned.
“I’m way beyond angry. I haven’t slept for worrying about it and all I’ve been trying to do is get the message out in any way I can for people to look out for suspicious vehicles and report them.
“I think they knew we were empty and they knew we were going to have to fill again, so we went with the minimum order of 500 litres.”
In December, the Stevensons knew something was wrong when their central heating wouldn’t fire up.
“It was totally different this time,” she said of Thursday’s theft. “The heating was working and we were about to go out when I noticed double tyre tracks across the patio.
“I wondered why a vehicle would have been across there, ran inside to get a torch and we saw the tank had been drained again. There was hardly anything left in the bottom of it.”
Once again Jill has posted a warning online and admitted extra security is now a priority.
“It’s really sickened us,” she added. “We have been speaking to community police officers and have a friend coming up this weekend to measure up for building a great big cage around it.
“We’ll also now be without oil until probably the later part of next week and at this time of year that’s the last thing you want.”
Police confirmed they were investigating the theft, which happened between 8.30am and 5.30pm on Thursday.
A spokeswoman added: “Anyone who is offered cheap or cut-price diesel should be aware that they too could end up committing a crime. They should decline any such offers and report them to the police.”