Police in the Newry and Mourne area of Northern Ireland have this month seized some 3,500 illegally refilled gas cylinders and bulk storage tanks amounting to around 24 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), in an operation which targeted the illegal sale of gas based in South Armagh. More than 50 officers from Crime Operations and local police were involved, supported by the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service and Officers from HM Revenue and Customs. Superintendent Alan McCrum, who co-ordinated the operations said, "It is not only about enforcement but also public safety. The fact of the matter is that the filling of gas cylinders is a highly dangerous operation and to do this without proper safeguards so close to residential and property in the village of Cullaville is both reckless and illegal. Furthermore, filling cylinders in this unregulated way means that faulty and unsafe cylinders can enter the supply chain and put people who purchase and use them at grave risk."
A spokesperson from the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSE NI) went on to say, "Clearly the search has revealed a major threat to public safety arising from the operation of an LPG cylinder filling plant in the village of Cullaville. It also unearthed a number of unsafe practices which could have resulted in a major fire and explosion that would have put members of the public in the area at risk. Had the HSE NI been consulted in relation to the suitability of the site for the purpose of filling or storing LPG it would have strongly opposed such an undertaking being set up."
