POLICE in Ellesmere Port have issued advice after they received two reports of 'unknown males' in a transit van stealing cooking oil from restaurants.

At 9.15am on Friday, March 31 police received reports of a cooking oil theft from TGI Fridays on Kincey Road.

They then received another report on Friday, April 7 at around 4am that there had been a cooking oil theft at KFC on Kincey Road.

It is estimated that up to one out of five of the used cooking oil made in the UK is stolen, with the practice of converting used oil into unregulated biodiesel, sold on the black market becoming an increasingly common trend.

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In a post on social media Ellesmere Port Police said: "It is very likely that other thefts may have occurred but have not been reported.

"If you own or work in a business that may be affected by this type of crime please report any incidents and take note of the advice below:

"If you own a business premise that could be affected by this type of theft there are a few things you can do to help prevent it, including:

  • Asking for ID from those attending to collect it.
  • Keep an eye out for suspicious people/activity and report it.
  • Keep containers out of view.
  • Install and use lockable access gates.
  • Call 101 if you suspect someone to be a cooking oil thief.