Safety fear over lorry fuel raids

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Concerns have been raised about the safety of truck drivers following thefts from lorries parked in lay-bys.

Police are erecting warning signs and carrying out extra patrols in Neath Port Talbot to combat the problem.

This week, 150 litres of fuel was stolen from a lorry in a lay-by on the A465 in the county as the driver slept.

The Freight Transport Association said thieves were often very violent while truck stop provision was poor, particularly in mid Wales.

Lorry driver Steven Orchard, 34, from Carmarthenshire, was parked off the A465 at Resolven when his vehicle was targeted overnight.

Thieves are unscrupulous, devious and often very violent... Don Armour, Freight Transport Association

He said he was concerned about security while he parked up in lay-bys and worried the problem was getting worse with the rising cost of fuel.

"Some lorries can hold 800 or 900 litres of diesel. It's easy money," he said.

"It does annoy you when this happens and it is scary to go to sleep knowing you could be targeted."

He added: "It's the risk you take doing this job. You take a risk every time you park up - there's no guarantee you will be safe."

South Wales Police confirmed there had been other incidents along the A465 in Neath Port Talbot.

A spokesperson said: "There's been extra patrols carried out on the A465, particularly between Resolven and Glynneath where they've been happening.

DRIVER SAFETY TIPS Remove keys and lock vehicle doors whenever vehicle is left unattended, even for a secondGet in the habit of locking your doors even while you are drivingPark overnight at approved locations if possible and avoid dark, lonely placesIf asked to re-deliver to a new address by someone who looks like an official from the company, it is wise to check with your traffic office firstWhere high value or vulnerable loads are carried, try to travel in convoy with other trusted drivers<i>Source: Freight Transport Association</i>

"We have also tried to raise awareness of this issue by putting signs in lay-bys to warn drivers of these incidents."

Thefts of fuel from lorries have also been reported in other parts of Wales in the past year, such as in Carmarthenshire where trucks parked at their bases were targeted.

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) said truck drivers could be a sitting duck for thieves and the Resolven incident was "not a rarity".

Don Armour, of the FTA, said: "Instances of fuel siphoning and general truck theft are all too common. Truck stop provision is pretty poor throughout the UK - there are basically none in mid Wales.

"This is an acknowledged problem, indeed two truck stops were applied for on the A55 [in Flintshire] recently and both were refused by the local authority on environmental grounds.

"Sadly the implications for drivers are very serious as aside from providing a humane standard of basic facility needed for a decent sleep, secure truck stops also mean that drivers are far less likely to be at the mercy of violent truck thieves."

He urged local authorities to start "factoring in" the provision of truck stops into their transport plans.

"Thieves are unscrupulous, devious and often very violent and instances of hijackings, where entire loads - which can be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds - are stolen are not uncommon," he added.