POLICE have vowed to hit criminals hard in the fight against fuel theft as magistrates ordered a lorry used in a raid in Stuntney to be crushed.

The blue Iveco lorry was used by thieves in a foolhardy raid on a waterworks in Stuntney on June 20 but was seized by police following a tip-off from a vigilant member of the public.

Officers had been called to the Anglian Water site at 11.30pm after a resident reported suspicious activity.

John Cannon, 36, of Wistaria Road, Wisbech, was caught hiding in grass inside the grounds and was arrested along with two others on suspicion of stealing diesel.

He pleaded guilty to theft at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on Friday and was ordered to carry out 120 hours community service and pay �85 costs. The court also ordered the destruction of the vehicle which was being used to transport the stolen fuel.

Officers recovered about 1,000 litres of siphoned fuel at the scene. Nine other empty containers were also in the vehicle ready for filling, in what turned out to be a highly organised operation.

Ely-based Detective Inspector Donna Wass, said: “This was very large scale theft of diesel and would have cost the victim a huge amount of money.

“Fortunately we were alerted to the incident by a concerned member of the public and able to seize the vehicle. We will continue to apply for such destruction orders to deter thieves from committing this type of crime.”

Two other men, aged 40 and 53, have been released on police bail until July 24.