An electronic fuel cap device has been launched to counteract the ever expanding war on fuel theft.

The device, called EyeCap, was initially developed bespoke for a client but is now available for public purchase.

Richard Edwards, MD of RE-Tech UK said: “There is a whole range of anti-siphon devices on the market, which is the first step to a preventative strategy. However these devices have limitations. Some don’t prevent skimming on a regular basis of small amounts of diesel, some have huge holes or are easily accessible for small pipes, some even have structures that can be drilled, bent or forced to allow siphoning. Whilst they can initially be a deterent  They do not provide enough information to actually analyze  the situation and issue no warning to events as and when they happen, the problem is also extending to company employees, where there has been several reported cases of fuel theft by employees.

"If the EyeCap is tampered with or removed from the tank, or even when it senses a puncture in the tank, a real time signal is sent monitoring the date, time, duration and location. These details can be filtered through any tracking system with the functionality to report such events., which can, in turn,  trigger an alarm, CCTV, in-cab buzzers and/or even issue text/email alerts to your mobile or inbox.

"The tracking and CCTV aspect of the EyeCap is also vital for stamping out fuel theft by employees, as it could tell you whether the theft occurred whilst the driver should have been in the vehicle, or whether it would have been unmanned at that point."