Last year alone, tool theft cost self-employed tradespeople over £193 million, according to research by Simply Business.
For tradespeople, tool theft isn’t just about stolen equipment; it grinds work to halt, has a huge financial impact, and can make you feel like you’re back to square one.
The majority of tradespeople (78 per cent) have had tools stolen at some point and there’s regular campaigning from organisations in the construction industry for tool theft to be taken more seriously.
With a bill now passing through parliament that aims to increase the sentencing for tool theft, plus renewed focus from the police on catching sellers of stolen tools, there’s hope things could change.
Tool theft – harsher sentencing on the way?
The Theft of Tools of Trade (Sentencing) Bill has just passed its first reading in parliament. The purpose of the bill is to increase the sentencing category for tool theft from category three to category two. This would mean tool theft would be considered a more serious crime in the eyes of the law.
The logic for the upgrade in severity is because of the amount of disruption tool theft causes for businesses, as well as the financial impact. Amanda Martin, the MP for Portsmouth North who tabled the bill, said: “When you add in the value of the work loss, the reputational damage, the damage to the vans as well it can far exceed the value of the stolen tools,”
And according to our research alongside On the Tools, 94 per cent of stolen tools never being recovered so few tradespeople are getting a fair resolution.
If stealing tools is upgraded to a category two crime, people that are convicted of tool theft would serve longer and more severe sentences.
You can show your support for the bill as it passes through parliament.
Increased policing on stolen tool sellers
A tool is stolen every 12 minutes in the UK and it’s impossible for the police to prevent every crime. But if the people selling the stolen goods are more likely to be caught, it could reduce the number of tool thefts in the long term.
That’s why the police have a renewed focus on catching the people selling stolen tools. In the post below from the Met Police, you can see them recover over £50,000 of stolen tools from a car boot sale.
But the police are having trouble tracking down the original owners for the majority of stolen tools.
As a result, they’re asking tradespeople to mark their tools to make it easier to identify them as stolen and return them if they’re found. Sussex Police even handed out 500 DNA marking tools to tradespeople to combat tool theft in Brighton.
Along with the police, organisations within the construction industry are calling for compulsory registration of power tools’ serial numbers as soon as they’re purchased. This would make it easier to identify a tool as stolen.
How to protect your tools from being stolen
Marking and registering the serial number of your tools helps you track them down if they’re stolen. On top of this, the police have emphasised some strategies that could help you reduce the chance of your tools being stolen.
It’s essential you don’t leave tools in your van overnight and stay vigilant whenever you’re on a job site. Here are some more steps you can take to make your van more secure and tools harder to steal:
- installing double deadlocks and slamlocks on van doors – upgrading factory locks to high-security ones can add an extra layer of security
- invest in high-security van vaults – look for ones with ‘sold secure gold’ or ‘secured by design’ certification and bolt them to floor of your van
- fit a full bulkhead – having separation between the front seats and storage in the back makes it harder to access your tools
Tool insurance is also a great way to have peace of mind that your tools are protected. Run a quick quote to see if we can cover your kit.
More useful guides for small business owners
- A guide to risk assessments in the workplace
- What is CPC training?
- Six new driving laws in 2025
- What are COSHH regulations?
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