Police are appealing for information and urge the public not to approach the containers.
A spokesperson for Nottinghamshire Police said:
‘Our colleagues at Humberside Police are appealing for information after four barrels, containing chemicals that can be highly flammable, were stolen.
‘It is possible the suspects may have travelled into Nottinghamshire or other neighbouring force areas.
‘If you come across these containers or have any information regarding this incident, please contact Humberside Police on 101 immediately.
‘Thank you for your cooperation.’
Humberside Police appeal
“We are appealing for information after we received reports of a burglary at a business premises in Flixborough, near Scunthorpe on Wednesday, 28 January 2026) where containers containing chemicals that can be highly flammable were stolen.
“Four men wearing balaclavas entered the property at around 5.45 am and stole two large silver cylindrical containers and two large black cylindrical containers, each weighing approximately 110 kg, 4 ft in height and with a diameter of 15 inches.
“The barrels were put into a white Volkswagen Golf, and the four men then left the scene.”
Superintendent Tim Harrison said: “It is possible the four containers may have now been discarded, and our priority is to locate and safely recover them. They are labelled as flammable, and I would urge people not to approach the containers if they come across them, but to please call 999 immediately, quoting Humberside Police log 76 of 28 January.
“We received the report just after 7 am this morning, and since then officers have been conducting extensive lines of enquiry, including reviewing CCTV from in and around the area leading up to and following the incident.
“We believe the same vehicle and four men matching the same description were seen acting suspiciously near another business premises on Ferry Road in Scunthorpe before this burglary, at around 5.30 am, but they made off after being disturbed when a security alarm was activated.
“As part of our enquiries, we also believe at this stage the four men may have travelled outside of our force area and towards South Yorkshire.
“I would appeal to anyone with any information or CCTV footage that may assist with our ongoing enquiries to please come forward. It may be that you witnessed a car in the area or a small group acting suspiciously; no matter how small, it could be a vital piece of information for our investigation.”
You can also contact us via our non-emergency number 101, quoting the log number, or if you wish to remain anonymous, you can report through the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
