New data acquired by Tell TVL has revealed the staggering state of tool theft in the capital, with an estimated £16.3 million worth of tools stolen* from vehicles across London in 2023**.
The data, supplied by the Metropolitan Police via a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, shows the escalating scale of tool theft and its devastating impact on tradespeople, with nearly 10,000 instances of thefts from a motor vehicle reported to the force in 2023 alone.
Laura Moran, Managing Director, TVL Group, says: “That an estimated £16.3 million worth of tools have been taken from honest tradespeople in just 12 months is a stark reminder of the scale of this crisis. For many workers, their tools are their livelihood. Losing them can mean missed jobs, delayed projects, and financial hardship, not to mention the emotional toll of feeling targeted and vulnerable. This epidemic is devastating lives and businesses, and it’s clear that more needs to be done to support tradespeople and protect their essential tools.”
Van theft also remains a significant threat for Londoners according to the Metropolitan Police’s data, with 2,760 vans reported stolen in 2023, meaning the force has seen a total of 11,799 vans taken since 2020.
Moran adds: “We are committed to combating this growing threat by working with police forces, vehicle manufacturers, and tradespeople to develop robust security measures and raise awareness of the issue.”
The Tell TVL platform, hosted in partnership with the International Security Register (ISR), calls on companies and van owners who have had items from their vans or their vans themselves stolen to anonymously report full details including images at www.telltvl.co.uk, as well as reporting the crime to the police.
This data is then used to create a real-time national database capturing the full scale and nature of van crime across the UK. Registered users are provided with free anonymised data reports highlighting crime hotspots and receive targeted crime prevention advice based on trends in entry methods.
*Tools are defined as:
- Mechanical, powered and non-powered hand tools – excluding garden tools
- Garden tools and equipment
- Building Materials
- Compressors
- Welding and cutting equipment
- Industrial cleaning machines
- Farm machinery
- Ladders, steps and trestles
- Other tools, building, and farm equipment
** The reported value of tools stolen are based on the owner’s estimations
