HOME heating oil is being siphoned from outdoor tanks on a daily basis, according to experts, who believe the crime is a sign of the recessionary times.

But while the problem is widespread, it is believed the majority of cases go either unreported or unnoticed.

"It's weekly, it's daily in every town in Ireland," said Rory Hanly, managing director of the Cork-based Tanklok (www.tanklok.com), which provides domestic storage security for around €35.

"In my travels I would hardly go into a hardware store or an oil supplier where someone wouldn't say they think their tank was targeted."

Hanly believes that opportunist burglars are raiding tanks primarily for domestic use rather than for resale on the black market.

Old-fashioned siphoning pipes as well as electric pumps and any manner of homemade devices are being used to empty tanks. Homeowners are so worried that many even scatter sand around the tank to check for footprints.

With many raiders taking just small amounts of fuel and with most homeowners un­aware of how much oil is left, it is impossible to monitor how common such thefts are.

"The guards told us that for every five thefts that are reported there could be five or 10 people who are not reporting it," Hanly said. "That is because people siphon five or 10 litres – you wouldn't know how full your tank is."

One recent victim in rural Monaghan said that he had only had oil in the tank at his newly-built home for six weeks when he found it empty. "Someone said the radiators were off and he went out and checked the tank and it was empty."