A FARM'S 10,000-litre diesel tank was raided by thieves amid fears rising fuel prices are creating a black market.

And police have urged farmers to be on guard after the theft at Huntley Gate Farm, Whalley Road, Samlesbury.

After making off, the raiders left the tank's tap running, causing thousands of litres to spill onto the land.

Now a massive clear-up operation is taking place in a bid to avert an environmental disaster.

Farmer Eddie Cowpe, who runs the Huntley's of Samlesbury farm shop, told of his anger after revealing he expected to be left with a clean-up bill of up to £70,000.

It is unclear how much diesel was stolen.

Mr Cowpe said: "It is the first time something like this has happened to us.

"The problem is whoever did this could have just filled up a 25 litre drum and made off, yet it has cost me thousands.

"It is a complete act of stupidity and vandalism."

Mr Cowpe said the raid took place some time between 8pm on Monday and 7am last Tuesday.

Police confirmed they were investigating and Environment Agency chiefs said they were working closely with Mr Cowpe to minimise the environmental impact.

Red diesel is sold to farmers without any VAT added on to it.

It costs around 60p per litre and is treated with a liquid red dye which makes illegal use simple to uncover.

But with the price of regular diesel rocketing to around 130pence, temptation could lead to farmers becoming a target.

A Lancashire police spokesman said: "We would remind farmers to be extra-vigilant in the current climate."

Motoring group RAC said that incidents such as this could become more common due the cost of fuel.

Spokesman Adam Cracknell said: "It's something that's happened before, and with fuel prices going up people become desperate and farmers should be on their guard."

The diesel tank targeted is at the back of the newly opened food hall which forms part of the farm shop.

The shop was set up during the foot and mouth crisis of 2001 and Mr Cowpe still farms 350 acres across five separate farms in the area.

Mr Cowpe said the tank, which is used to power a large generator that provides electricity for the site, was almost full at the time of the theft and he believes that with rising fuel prices more should be done by police to make sure similar incidents do not happen more often.

He said: "There should be stronger deterrents from the police but there is not.

"If they catch these people they might get an ASBO when, in reality, they should be sent to jail for life."

Much of the diesel has leaked on to ground at the back of the food hall which is covered in hardcore and rubble.

It has then seeped in to the soil below the rubble and flowed in to an old field drain which leads directly to a stream at the bottom of a nearby field.

While no crops have been damaged as a result of the spill, there is a threat to wildlife in the stream and Mr Cowpe has moved to limit the damage by digging a 10ft deep trench close to the water in which he has located the field drain.

Oil and diesel from the drain is now flowing in to the pit and is being pumped out in to nearby containers away from the water. Any clean water from underneath the oil - which has floated to the surface - is being fed back in to the stream.

He said: "The rubble around the tank had to be taken to a toxic waste depot in Skelmersdale. There was 10 loads of it at £1,350-a-load so that's cost me £13,500 already.

"I am trying to turn a disaster in to a positive and am doing my best to reduce the contamination.

"The pit we have dug is acting as an emergency interceptor for the oil. I've even had a team in from Manchester who have used spill mats to soak up any oil from the brook."

Mr Cowpe believes that more than £5,000-worth was leaked out in to soil.

He is now planning to put a security fence around the tank in order to stop similar incidents happening again.

An Environment Agency spokesman said it was too early to assess the damage to the environment.

He added: "It is quite a significant leakage. Our officers were on the scene immediately. "