Tools worth thousands stolen every 20 minutes across UK, new figures show

Tools worth thousands of pounds are stolen every 20 minutes across the UK, according to new figures. BBC One reported that more than 26,000 thefts were recorded last year. Traders said organised gangs were responsible, that they had lost faith in the criminal justice system and that the issue was not being prioritised by the authorities.

Phil Mackie's report for BBC One West showed Lincolnshire Police arresting a member of an organised criminal gang who had been stealing tools. It also showed containers full of stolen power tools seized by the Met and ready to be shipped abroad. One van break-in featured in the report took just six seconds.

Mike, who runs a refrigeration business, said his vans kept being broken into and described the emotional trauma of repeated thefts. BBC One reported that he had lost tens of thousands of pounds of equipment over the past couple of years and would rather spend the money on creating jobs and training engineers. He said the vehicles supported the hardest working class of the UK.

Police took part in Operation Zoridan at a car boot sale in Romford, where stolen power tools had been found in the past. No tools believed to have been stolen were found during the visit, which officers suggested was a good sign. Earlier seizures in Hounslow were also shown. Police said they had taken the issue seriously for 24 months and made some inroads, but there was more work to do.

In its earlier bulletin, BBC One reported that at a conference on the issue an MP whose father was a plumber and who had campaigned successfully for tougher sentencing for tool thieves said more needed to be done to stop stolen goods being sold on. The later bulletin named her as Labour MP Amanda Martin, who was calling for the government to do more to help.

At a yard in Warwickshire, thieves were filmed apparently looking for tools and attempting to break in. Kerry, the owner, said police told him the incident did not meet the threshold to be recorded as a crime because the thieves had not broken in. He had beefed up security but believed the gangs thought they could get away with it.

BBC One reported that the Home Office said it was working with police to protect more hardworking tradespeople, increasing neighbourhood policing and working with the industry to tackle the sale of stolen goods. Traders said that unless tool theft was made more of a priority, it would continue to cost livelihoods.