Well it is no doubt the thieves who cash in on any possibility of a scam, this time stealing from businesses who are pressed to make ends meet in any case.

Whether it is lead off a church roof or computers out of an empty classroom at night, these villains are scavengers, adding to existing problems and making life tougher for the rest of us.

We should treat the culprits with contempt and deal with them harshly when they eventually come before the courts. But their latest target was inevitable as petrol pushes gold for the top commodity.

The rise in the cost of fuel does not just bring the criminals out of the woodwork, it affects almost every aspect of our life, our work, our homes and our families.

And when such a large proportion of the cost of fuel is tax, it makes you wonder if the Government could not take short term action to ease this pain.

Otherwise, the only winners will be the bad guys.