With an autumnal nip in the air, the Environment Agency is urging anyone with a domestic heating oil tank to check their tank is in a good state of repair before getting heating oil delivered for the winter.

Leaks and spills from a domestic heating tank can be difficult and expensive to clean up; leaked oil can end up in groundwater supplies and drains, many of which lead directly into rivers, streams, lakes and even garden ponds.

If oil does get into drains it could pollute watercourses; harming livestock, wildlife and plants. Our vital drinking water can also come from the same surface and groundwater supplies so protection is important.

Oil is poisonous to fish, other wildlife and smothers plants – just two litres of oil could seriously pollute the volume of fresh water needed to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool.

Steve Brown from the Environment Agency said:

Heating oil can cause serious problems if it gets into the water environment.

The clean-up costs could be tens of thousands of pounds; and these costs fall to the owner of the leaking tank. These costs are not always covered by household insurance policies. A serious case of land contamination from a leaking oil tank could also severely affect the value of property in the area.

This is why it’s vital that oil is only ever stored in tanks that are in good condition. Both the tank and its pipe work should be regularly inspected and people should never buy more oil than they can safely store.

If anyone does find a spill, please contact us straight away so that we can reduce the impact on the environment.

To report an oil spill people should contact the Environment Agency’s 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.

Arnoldes Jocys, 19, pleaded guilty yesterday (12 September) at the start of his scheduled four day trial at Hull Crown Court and was sentenced immediately to 27 months’ imprisonment. He had been charged with facilitating a breach of the UK’s immigration laws.

Jocys had been stopped by Border Force officers at the Port of Hull on the morning of 16 May. He had arrived on an overnight ferry from Rotterdam and was driving a Mercedes Sprinter van.

When questioned by officers, Jocys said he was delivery driver and that he was carrying a mixed load of vodka, beer, cigarettes, furniture and barbecues.

Mark Robinson, Border Force Assistant Director with the Humber Command, said:

Jocys was nervous when he was being spoken to and when the rear of the van was searched it became obvious why. As officers unloaded the contents, they found, hiding behind a sofa, two Chinese men. The cargo area had been filled floor to ceiling with goods. It was clear the Chinese men could not have found their way into the vehicle without assistance.

Jocys, of no fixed UK address, was arrested and the case was passed to Immigration Enforcement’s Criminal and Financial Investigation (CFI) Team. In interview, the two Chinese men said they had been placed into the van in Belgium, although they could not say by whom. They were returned to Belgium later the same day (16 May).

Subsequent forensic examination found that the rear and side doors of the van had been fitted with a new locking system which meant they could only be opened with a key from the outside.

Mike Reed, CFI Inspector, said:

This evidence supported the prosecution case that the two illegal migrants could not have got into the rear of the van without Jocys’ knowledge.

This was a shameless attempt to bypass the UK’s immigration controls that was prevented thanks to the expertise of my colleagues in Border Force. With the evidence they provided, alongside our own investigations, we have been able to bring a would-be people smuggler to justice.

I hope that this case sends a clear message to anyone else tempted to get involved in criminality of this type – you will be caught and brought before the courts.

Anyone with information about suspected immigration abuse can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 anonymously or visit http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org.