Trades under assault from £56m tool thefts

HARD-working tradespeople face an “economic assault” costing them over £56million a year.

- BY PAUL JEEVES Crime Editor

Tooled-up thieves steal from vans and lock-ups on industrial scale

Out-of-control gangs are stealing their tools in “industrial numbers”.

Thefts leave workers including plumbers, electricians and builders, out of pocket, but also unable to work until replacements arrive.

Some 25,525 tool thefts were reported to police in the 12 months to the end of 2024, data obtained via Freedom of Information requests by Fix Radio revealed

This equated to one theft every 21 minutes, with around 70 tradespeople targeted every single day.