Tool Theft: Britain’s £46 million crime that’s crippling tradespeople

Tradespeople across the country are reporting a crime epidemic that authorities seem unable to stop. Reflected in research compiled by Direct Line, more than £46 million worth of tools have been reported stolen from vans since the easing of lockdown in April 2021. This is equivalent to £245,893 worth of tools being stolen every day, with only 1% of stolen tools being recovered, according to research conducted by Compare the Market. With a low conviction rate, and often lenient sentencing, the legal system doesn’t present much of a deterrent to tool thieves. This is in spite of posing the biggest threat to tradespeople from being able to complete their work nationwide.

In an attempt to bring the conversation of tool theft to the national agenda, Fix Radio – the UK’s dedicated radio station for the trade – has launched an online petition to combat the issue. Hosted on the parliament website, the petition calls for the formation of a parliamentary committee to bring together police, politicians, van and tool manufactures, insurance providers and societal leaders to discuss the issue of tool theft and propose solutions.

Key Stats:

£46 million worth of tools have been stolen since the easing of lockdown
£245,000 worth of tools are stolen every day
12, 759 thefts were reported in London
Only 1% of stolen tools are recovered
Tool theft is an issue that affects the livelihood and mental health of tradespeople, who in 59% of cases, don’t have tool insurance and find themselves out of work for days. On average, Direct Line estimates it takes a tradesperson a full working week to replace their tools in the event of theft. London was found to be the biggest hotspot for tool thieves, with 12,769 reported cases of tool theft from vehicles were recorded in the capital since the easing of lockdown in April, followed by West Yorkshire (400 cases), Northumbria (233 cases) and Kent (217 cases).

Clive Holland, host of The Clive Holland Show on Fix Radio, shares his thoughts on how the tool theft has impacted the trades sector:

“Since the easing of lockdown in April 2021 and October £46 million worth of tools have been stolen. That is over £245,000 worth of tools taken every day across the country; these numbers are insane!

“Despite the size of the problem or its impact on tradespeople everywhere, nothing is being done to combat the tool theft epidemic sweeping the country. Police are overwhelmed, politicians don’t care, and better security features on vans or tools isn’t a priority with manufacturers.

“Tool theft is not a ‘victimless’ crime – it attacks the livelihoods of the UK’s two million tradespeople. It means work is lost, earnings disrupted and plunges many tradespeople into debt just to replace tools just so they can go back to work.”