Owners of rural properties have been warned to be on their guard after a string of heating oil thefts.

Police say the rising price of oil is fuelling an increase in the number of such thefts in the Ashford and Shepway areas.

Villages targeted over the past few weeks have included Westwell, Bethersden, Hythe, Aldington and Stelling Minnis.

Police give the following advice to prevent thefts:

Keep your yard or drive gates closed and securely locked.

Instal CCTV along with suitable security lighting.

Storage tanks ideally should be situated within sight of your home, office or business while at the same time being difficult to see by the general public

Plant hostile (thorny) shrubs around your tank

Regularly check your fuel levels so that you can easily spot if the level drops

Install lockable caps with crop-proof padlocks/fittings and where possible provide vulnerable fuel hoses with hardened/flexible casing so that they are harder to cut

For more crime reduction advice please contact your local crime reduction officer on 101.

For the latest on this story, see Thursday's Kentish Express.