A tool has been stolen from a tradesperson every 17 minutes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland since March 2021, according to analysis of police force data.
In total, the shocking analysis shows 31,161 tools were stolen, the majority of which (17,370) were taken by thieves breaking into vehicles.
On The Rise
The industry confirms that this marks an increase since before the Covid-19 pandemic, as in the 2019 calendar year 28,681 cases of tool theft were reported, the equivalent of one stolen every 20 minutes.
Alison Traboulsi, at Direct Line, commented: “At a time when people are facing serious cost of living challenges, heartless criminals are taking away the livelihoods of hardworking tradespeople. It is not just the value of the tools stolen, theft can cause big delays on site, causing huge additional costs and causing serious scheduling headaches. We urge those considering purchasing second-hand tools to question their provenance to limit opportunities for criminals to dispose of stolen goods.”
Insurers statistics show, as with the average value of a stolen tool costing £385, there has been £80 million worth of equipment taken over the last year, compounding the issues for tradespeople trying to bounce back from the pandemic.
While thefts from London represented 62 per cent of all incidents (19,351), the data shows Northumbria came out on top when population density was considered.
Regions with the highest levels of tool theft per resident, according to data collated by the policy authority in 2022 were:
Most insurers will not cover tools left unattended in a vehicle overnight. Some will, but there are conditions that need to be met – otherwise the cover may not respond. There are options to either obtain the additional cover, make the vehicle or the parking location more secure or remove valuable items from the vehicle overnight.
We Can Help
We are happy to discuss what options are open to you, what covers are available and how they work.
For more information on Van and Tradesperson Insurance, please get in touch by calling us on 01403 785775 or sending us an email to info@omnidavis.co.uk.
