Police are warning people to be on their guard following a spate of fuel and heating oil thefts in rural areas including Lewes.

A Sussex Police statement said: “These thefts have been from both industrial and residential properties. If you store fuel, oil or vehicles on industrial sites, store as little as possible overnight – do not fill vehicle tanks up at the end of the day.

“Putting up CCTV is useful as a deterrent.

"If full CCTV cover of your company property is financially untenable then putting up signage or dummy cameras can still act as deterrents.”