After raiding a property in Margate last November, Kent Police were faced with disposing of 200 litres of diesel fuel – so they decided to donate the £250 haul to the resort’s RNLI lifeboat station.
Police arrested four people on suspicion of theft, three of whom were released without charge and one was cautioned for handling stolen goods.
It was thought that the fuel could have originally come from a foreign-registered lorry, possibly being sold on cheaply. The owner of the diesel could not be traced.
Inspector Simon Collins, of Kent Police, said: “Any proceeds of crime which cannot be returned to the owner will be donated to charity. Margate lifeboat is an integral part of the community and many officers in east Kent have worked and still work as part of the lifeboat crew.”
Welcoming the donation, the Margate lifeboat station mechanic Roger Turner said: “This fuel was well received as currently we are at a temporary location on the beach and the diesel was used to power our generator.”