Van drivers report £3.5bn worth of stolen tools
- 28/09/2023
- Posted by: Alan Feldberg
- Category: News
New research has revealed that more than a third of van drivers have been a victim of tool theft in the last 12 months.
According to Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, 36% have seen their vans broken into and equipment stolen, up from 33% in 2020, with UK tradespeople reporting £3.5bn worth of stolen tools last year.
In a freedom of information request, police forces across the UK reported over 9,000 complaints relating to tool theft in 2022, with London remaining a hot spot for the crime with over 6,000 reports last year.
The damage could be much worse though, with 48% of van drivers confessing to keeping more than £2,150 worth of tools in their vans overnight. This means they risk up to £5bn in lost equipment.
Volkswagen Financial Services has now urged van drivers to take more steps to protect their equipment. These include parking in a well-lit place when possible, checking surroundings before offloading your tools, fitting vans with a tracking device and, where possible, removing tools from vans overnight.
