INDECENT assault, theft and vandalism were among the offshore incidents reported to Grampian Police last year, the Press and Journal can reveal.
The force was involved in 90 incidents involving personnel on North Sea installations, 18 of which were regarded criminal.
Among the crimes were eight incidents of theft, two of assault and one of handling obscene material.
Other incidents included breach of the peace, vandalism and bail offences.
Figures obtained using freedom of information legislation show there were five deaths offshore which were reported to Grampian Police in 2008.
There was also one complaint of annoying or obscene phone calls and an incident where someone had illegal drugs. Two further offshore incidents of theft by opening a lockfast place were also reported.
The biggest offshore operation police were involved in last year was the case of Dana Rosu, a caterer on board the Safe Scandinavia floating hotel, who sparked the largest security scare in the history of the North Sea oil industry.
Fourteen military and civilian helicopters were scrambled from bases across the country to the platform 130 miles offshore on February 10 after allegations were made about a “possible suspicious device”.
A bomb squad was put on standby and 161 staff were airlifted to neighbouring platforms in an operation costing upwards of £1million. The Crown Office later confirmed there would be no action taken against Ms Rosu.
Last night Jake Molloy, regional organiser for the offshore energy branch of the RMT union, said incidents such as theft have become more prevalent in recent years, and urged offshore workers to “weed out” those responsible.
Mr Molloy said: “When there is a tight-knit group where people are living in close quarters on top of one another, these things will inevitably happen.”
He added: “More worrying perhaps are those (incidents) of theft. It seems to be happening more regularly on certain installations – why that would be I simply do not know.”
Chris Allen, health, safety, social and environment director with the offshore industry’s representative organisation Oil & Gas UK, said: “With a workforce of more than 28,000 on offshore installations alone, our industry is certainly not immune to criminal behaviour. However, reports of incidents are very rare.”
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