POLICE dealing with the theft of 3,000 litres of diesel from a garage said the crime was the biggest of its type they had ever seen.

Investigating officer PC Phil Wigmore believes a 'sophisticated' gang was behind the theft which would have taken more than an hour to carry out.

Thieves struck at Ridings Auto Services, in Wood Street, Great Harwood, sometime between Thursday night and yesterday morning.

PC Wigmore, based at Great Harwood, said he believed thieves brought their own generator to supply the electricity needed to empty the diesel pump. An unleaded pump and lead replacement petrol pump were untouched.

He said: "We suspect they had some kind of tanker wagon or perhaps a large van with many separate drums inside. It was a sophisticated theft by somebody who knows something about diesel pumps."

The garage's joint owners Beryl Holden, Phil Mullen and Jeff Allen were shocked by the theft. Jeff said: "They took about a week's supply of diesel and the pump is not working now."

Beryl added: "It has lost us a lot of trade."

PC Wigmore said the theft is the latest in a spate of similar incidents not just in Great Harwood but across East Lancashire. At this stage police are treating them as separate incidents.

He said: "There have been one or two diesel thefts in Great Harwood over the past couple of months but nothing on this scale and there have been two instances in the Ribble Valley area where around 2,000 litres were taken. This is certainly the biggest one I have been involved with."

The haul, estimated to cost the garage between £2,500 and £3,000, was enough to fill the average wagon, which takes 850 litres, nearly four times over.

PC Wigmore said: "Big users such as businesses may be approached and they should get in touch. We would also ask filling stations to be vigilant and take what steps they can to prevent this such, as training their CCTV cameras on their pumps."

If you have any information contact PC Wigmore at Great Harwood on 01254 884 800.