Arrest fuels hope for Sunbury disability support service

A DISABILITY service provider has its “fingers crossed” that rampant fuel siphoning from its buses has ended after an arrest was made.

Distinctive Options CEO Ernie Metcalf is hoping the petrol siphoning of his service’s buses is over. Picture: Sarah Matray

A DISABILITY service provider has its “fingers crossed” that rampant fuel siphoning from its buses has ended after an arrest was made.

Distinctive Options, a Sunbury organisation that provides education, community access and exercise opportunities for people with disabilities, had fuel taken from its buses for more than 18 months.

The buses are used to collect clients each day and involve them in community activities.

Police arrested a 28-year-old man in relation to the siphoning, following incidents from May 26 to May 30. He was charged with three counts of theft and three counts of trespassing and has been released on bail to appear in court at a later date.

While unsure of the exact figure the siphoning had set back the organisation, chief executive Ernie Metcalf believed it was about $2000.

“We don’t get funded for fuel so it’s an extra cost for us all the time just to provide a regular service,” he said.

“To say we were very annoyed is an understatement.

“We don’t want to have to put up lockable gates around us and you shouldn’t have to in this day and age.

“To think that an individual would just come in and top up his fuel levels whenever he felt like it is terrible.”

Mr Metcalf said that locks were placed on fuel caps on older buses but screwdrivers had been used to snap open the caps or put holes in them to allow access to fuel.

CCTV was installed on the site recently and a passer-by allegedly caught the suspect in the act and followed him home.

Police allege the suspect siphoned fuel on three nights out of four at the end of May, resulting in the arrest.

“Normally it used to happen over long weekends or Easter when there wasn’t much happening and less people around,” Mr Metcalf said.

“We have our fingers crossed that this is all over.”