If this hadn't happened to us I wouldn't have believed it! We went away for the weekend to Sewerby Hall for the Old Time weekend. Geoff got the caravan set up, turned gas on, lit the fridge made a cup of tea etc. etc. He thought the could smell gas so turned the bottle off and set about investigating where any leak might be. We noticed the smell was strongest just outside the van next to the vent for the water heater and on examining the vent found it was cracked although it had not been up to a couple of weeks back when we had run things in the caravan to check out before the new season. He took the vent off and discovered the plate covering the heater was bent and a screw missing. When he removed that (and before any corgi members scream in horror he already suspected what had happened)he found the heater jets, thermostat in fact the whole heater unit had been taken out and the gas pipe left, allowing gas to just flow straight out. The fact that someone has stolen the part is bad enough but to conceal it by replacing the cover and vent (presumably so they could commit similar crimes and the police not be notified straight away)is the act of a sick individual. It is by pure luck that we were not all blown to smitherines. If we had been at one of the busier festivals any passer by lighting up or turning on a mobile could have gone up and we'd probably have taken half the camp site with us!
I don't know how common such crimes are although the police may tell us when we speak to them tomorrow but please, please be vigilant and if anything looks out of place check it carefully. This was thankfully only an inconvenience this weekend as we were unable to use anything powered by gas but it could so easily have been a fatal tragedy!