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.

Hepatitis: Parents warned to check for signs after ‘unusual’ spike in liver condition in under-10s

Energy security strategy: Boris Johnson pledges to ‘do more’ on cost of living crisis as he defends energy strategy

British embassy security guard suspected of being Russian spy pleads not guilty to nine charges

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.

Related posts:

Author says long COVID gave him ‘sandy skin’ and sharing his symptoms helped him ‘rejoin human race’ COVID passports can get people ‘back to doing things they love’, culture secretary says Jersey govt has ‘constructive meeting’ with French fishermen as Royal Navy ships prepare to leave England’s R number jumps to between 1.2 and 1.4 ‘Mini’ COVID-restricted Queen’s birthday parade takes place at Windsor Castle ‘Worth more to me than any medal’: Tour de France hero Cavendish on inspiring others A ‘national shame’: MPs demand an end to some autistic people being detained for years People who catch COVID and flu at same time this winter ‘twice as likely to die’, Jenny Harries warns Woman, 28, arrested after dog attack near Caerphilly in Wales kills 10-year-old boy Man on trial accused of attempting to murder police officer in Glasgow by driving into him Ex-footballer Joey Barton ‘kicked wife in head’ and ‘grabbed her by throat’ in drunken row, court hears ‘Wall-to-wall sunshine’ for much of UK on what could be warmest day of the year so far