POLICE are warning of an increased threat of thefts from oil tanks as prices soar due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

And Newton Abbot MP Martin Wrigley has called for ‘urgent intervention’ to protect rural households from skyrocketing costs.

Mr Wrigley says official data shows 7,496 off-grid households in the constituency are reliant on oil for heating.

Meanwhile police have urged residents to ‘remain vigilant’ and take steps to secure their oil tanks where possible.

A number of simple steps can be taken to prevent theft including hiding the tank’s location such as using screening of fences or shrubs.

Fit the oil tank with a padlock or lockable filler cap or secure it within a metal cage or protective enclosure.

And fitting an electric oil level gauge can activate an alarm if the oil level drops suddenly.

Mr Wrigley is joining other MPs calling for Chancellor Rachel Reeves to take immediate action after she admitted that there has been “price gouging” in the heating oil market - with companies using the crisis in Iran to inflate prices.

Liberal Democrats are calling for an initial three-month zero-rating for VAT on heating oil for all residential homes.

According to House of Commons Library data, 16.8% of households in the Newton Abbot constituency are off the gas grid.

Residents who rely on heating oil are currently excluded from the Ofgem energy price cap, leaving them exposed to market volatility caused by the ongoing conflict.

The party has also called on the Government to develop a mechanism to shield off-grid families from sudden price surges, to provide them with similar protection to the energy price cap.

Mr Wrigley said: ‘Families who rely on heating oil are being left to bear the brunt of shocks to the global market in their bills.

‘The Government must provide immediate relief for households.

‘Liberal Democrats are calling for an immediate three-month zero-rating for VAT on heating oil for all residential homes.’