A POLICE investigation and major clean-up operation were launched when thieves spilled thousands of gallons of diesel into local waterways.

During an early morning raid at Heysham industrial estate, Middleton Road, a valve on a fuel tank was broken, releasing £20,000 of diesel.

The month's supply for haulage company R&B Transport poured down Unit 14's site on Wednesday and into Trimpell Dyke, which feeds into the Lune estuary conservation area.

The Environment Agency was quickly on hand to try and protect the habitat and wildlife.

The ground, drains and watercourses had already been contaminated, but EA officer Bryan Williams was hopeful most of the slick could be contained in the dyke.

"If it got into the estuary it would be affected by the tides and there's nothing we could do," he explained.

Site owner Stephen Hancock told the Citizen: "I heard about it at 3am. I just sat down for 10 or 15 minutes and tried to grasp what had happened."

He said he just hoped it didn't rain as the pollution would be more difficult to manage.

Suzanne Hepworth - a director of R&B Transport, which runs its operation from Mr Hancock's yard - admitted: "I am shell-shocked. One of our drivers was asleep in his wagon. He woke and saw two men wearing balaclavas walk past - one with an iron bar."

The frightened driver made a whispered phone call to his transport manager, who raised the alarm with the 24-hour on-site security.

Suzanne says the thieves knocked down a breeze block wall designed to contain spillages in order to reach the tank valve.

"We had a delivery of 8,000 gallons yesterday. They must have tried to put some of it in containers but they broke the valve and it would have been like Niagara Falls. It would have gone flowing down the yard into Carr Lane in the village and into the dyke. It is as far as the estuary."

She says the tank - which had been full hours earlier with enough fuel to keep the company's nine wagons on the road for a month - was 'absolutely bone dry'.

Insp Richard Debicki, of Morecambe Police, says a full investigation has been launched. "Clearly there are wider implications than the attempted theft of diesel as this may have an impact on the environment. The offenders are likely to be covered head to toe in diesel and we are appealing for any information people have," he told the Citizen.

Two men seen at the scene were both in their 30s. One was wearing a black jacket, blue jeans and dark boots; the other was six-feet-two, with a chequered jack, jeans and dark boots.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crimestoppers on 0800-555111.