Timber theft fears due to fuel costs

Thefts of timber in the wake of soaring oil, gas and electricity costs could become a thing of the future, a Shropshire businessman has warned today.

The warning comes as foresters and conservation workers say that they have seen thefts of timber grow as families attempt to find alternative fuel sources amid rising energy prices.

Dave Hinton, of North Shropshire Timber, Rednal, near Oswestry said although his timber yard had not had a problem with thefts, people stealing it from wooded areas could become increasingly common.

He said: "I fear it could be a thing of the future. Desperate people do desperate things.

"We haven't seen a problem here because we have got a security fence, but I can believe people are taking it from wooded areas."

Wally Grice, a forester for the Forestry Commission based at Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, said: "I have seen a steady increase of thefts over the last five years and believe it is due to the increased popularity of wood-burning stoves.

"We are coming across more incidents of people illegally taking timber from the woodland floor at woods across the county, as well as from stacks of felled timber awaiting transportation to auction. We have caught people red-handed using chainsaws to break up timber to take away."

Thefts are having a knock-on effect because in many instances they rob conservation groups of vital income.

"We lose out because we sell parcels of felled trees at auction, which bring in around £60,000 per year," added Mr Grice.

But Graham Reeves, of Wem-based GS & PA Reeves Ltd, raised doubts over the theft of timber being a big problem and said taking it from wooded areas was a "big job".

Forestry workers are painting timber awaiting collection for auction.