Fuel stolen from emergency fire vehicle in Cirencester
Hundreds of litres of fuel have been stolen from an emergency fire and rescue vehicle in Gloucestershire.
The theft from the vehicle, which is used to help in major flooding incidents across England, happened on 18 June at Cirencester Fire Station.
Fire spokesman Jeff Neathway said: "An important vehicle is out of action, which could affect our capability to respond to a major national incident."
It was used during the Gloucestershire floods of 2007.
'Fuel theft increase'
The vehicle, the only one in the county, is used to transport a High Volume Pump (HPV) which was supplied to the fire service by the government after the 9/11 World Trade Centre attacks.
This was part of an investment to provide specialist equipment to allow fire services to deal with major emergencies.
Mr Neathway added: "Fuel theft is on the increase as prices rise but it's hard to believe that anyone would target the emergency services in this way.
"Our High Volume Pump has been used to assist in catastrophic flooding situations in Kent, Doncaster and Cumbria in the last three years.
"This equipment is absolutely crucial to fire and rescue services when dealing with major flooding.
"It can also deliver large quantities of water over a long distance to assist with fire fighting."
Gloucestershire Police are investigating the theft and ask anyone with information to contact them.