An investigation is under way after diesel reported to be worth more than £250,000 was stolen from a high-security Royal Navy base.
The fuel was siphoned from a tanker and was due to fill up electricity generators powering the HMS Bulwark, a 19,560-tonne assault ship, at HMNB Devonport in Plymouth.
Thieves accessed the base and stole the diesel, which belonged to contractor Babcock International, in September 2021.
The fuel was worth more than £250,000, according to The Sun.
The newspaper added that “the heist ran for weeks” and “most of the diesel has been flogged on the black market” as UK motorists deal with record-breaking rises in fuel prices.
Civilians guards are reported to have raised the alarm after performing a spot check on a tanker being driven by a Babcock International driver as they tried to leave the base.
Babcock International is now investigating the theft of its fuel with the support of the Ministry of Defence Police.
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A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “The Ministry of Defence is aware of an incident last year involving the alleged theft of fuel from a contractor within HMNB Devonport.
“There was no disruption to defence operations and the Ministry of Defence has no further comment.”
A spokesman for Babcock International declined to comment.
