UK’s hard working trades people under “economic assault” from £56m tool thefts

An “economic assault” is being committed on Britain’s hard-working tradespeople that is costing them over £56 million a year. The staggering sum is being caused by out-of-control gangs who are stealing their tools in “industrial numbers” leaving them not only out of pocket but also unable to work until replacements arrive.

Exclusive data obtained through Freedom of Information for The Daily Express by Fix Radio reveals that 25,525 tool thefts were reported to police forces across the UK in the 12 months to the end of 2024. This equates to one theft every 21 minutes, with approximately 70 tradespeople targeted every single day. Clive Holland, a presenter at Fix Radio, says these damning figures represent more than just petty larceny and are undermining an industry that provides the backbone of Britain.

He said: “This is not a minor crime wave. It is a sustained attack on working Britain.

“Tools are not luxuries. They are how people earn a living. When they are stolen, it is not just equipment that disappears, but income, trust, and in many cases the ability to keep a small business going.”

The financial analysis paints a bleak picture for the industry with £40 million being lost in the value of the tools themselves and £16 million was lost due to cancelled jobs, downtime, and disrupted schedules.

On a granular level, the typical theft now costs a tradesperson an average of £1,565 in stolen equipment and a further £623 in lost business.

Vehicles remain the primary target for thieves with nearly half (49%) of all reported incidents—12,414 thefts – being van-related.

While much of this crime remains opportunistic, the data highlights a disturbing shift toward organised crime. Thieves are increasingly tracking routes, identifying poorly lit parking areas, and striking when vans are fully loaded.

The industry meanwhile reveals that nearly half of construction professionals report being approached by criminal groups offering “protection,” while 67% say they have witnessed crime increase over the last year.

The data indicates that while national theft figures have seen fluctuations, crime is simply “relocating” rather than disappearing.

The Metropolitan Police area recorded the highest volume of vehicle tool theft whilst other hotspots include West Yorkshire, Bedfordshire, and Gwent.

Thefts also peak in the autumn as darker evenings provide cover for criminals. A major driver of these thefts is the ease with which stolen goods can be liquidated with more than a quarter of UK adults admitting to buying second-hand tools.

“Tool theft keeps happening because stolen tools are easy to sell,” Holland warned. “Online marketplaces, informal resale groups, and car boot sales provide a quick route to cash, with little scrutiny.”

With 755,000 self-employed construction workers in the UK relying on their vans as mobile workshops, the industry is demanding action and Fix Radio is leading calls for the government and police to treat tool theft in line with the genuine economic damage it causes.

Fix Radio, the UK’s fastest-growing digital station, was launched in 2017 by Leeds business graduate Louis Timpany who got the idea while working as a labourer. The firm claims one in four trade workers now listen in – more than 700,000 a week.

Tool theft is not a minor crime wave but a sustained attack on working Britain.

Behind each of those numbers is a tradesperson opening their van in the cold half-light before dawn and getting that sinking feeling as the door slides back and the shelves are bare. Tools are not luxuries. They are how people earn a living. When they are stolen, it is not just equipment that disappears, but income, trust, and in many cases the ability to keep a small business going.

Hard-working Brits should not be expected to absorb thousands of pounds in losses every time a thief spots an opportunity. A stolen set of tools is not “petty crime”. It is a day’s work gone, and for some, the difference between staying afloat and going under.

Fix Radio’s position is clear. Tool theft needs to be treated in line with the real economic damage it causes. That means tighter controls on the resale of second-hand tools, stronger action against markets that enable stolen goods to circulate, and encouraging wider use of measures such as forensic marking to make tools traceable and harder to sell on.

Tradespeople have been calling for tougher sentencing and better enforcement for years, including support for the Theft of Tools of Trade (Sentencing) Bill. They are right to do so.

Our call to action is simple: make stolen tools harder to shift, make the consequences real, and stop asking working people to carry the cost alone.