Far too many tradespeople can tell a familiar tale of falling victim to tool theft. What sets Shoaib Awan apart is a determination to take a stand and bring builders, plumbers and electricians along for the journey.
Known as the The Gas Expert to his social media following, Shoaib Awan is the founder of Trades United, an initiative that promotes practical solutions to combat this debilitating crime. Shoaib wants the plight of hard-working installers to be heard. That’s why, earlier this year, he and a group of like-minded tradespeople, organised a van rally to bring the issue to the very heart of government. Starting at Brent Cross, hundreds gathered in their vans to travel on in convoy to Parliament Square. Armed with air horns, and vans emblazoned with simple messages that communicated the true cost of tool theft to tradespeople, it was a powerful demonstration of the frustration that is felt at a perceived lack of action, or sympathy, from legislators.
“I’ve organised the van rally because we’ve have had enough,” the Romford-based gas engineer told us on the day of the event. “It’s costing livelihoods, and we want criminals to face real penalties. I’ve been a victim myself and know just how it feels. I lost £8,000 worth of kit and they stuck a screwdriver through the door of a van that cost £24,000.
So just what is Shoaib and the Trades United campaign asking for? Tool theft is an acquisitive crime and if the market in stolen goods is disrupted that could go some way to making it less attractive for its perpetrators. In this context, car boot sales represent a completely unregulated means of disposing of illicit gains. Meaningful fines for the organisers of car boots and markets that are allowing stolen goods to be sold at their events could act as a deterrent.
Similarly, campaigners are urging the courts to treat this class of crime as a particularly pernicious offence. The Theft Act 1968 does 
allow for significant custodial sentences to be handed down, but these are rarely enforced. Whilst it should be recognised that the prison system is currently under unprecedented pressure, Trades United wants to see a commitment in the future at least to harsher jail terms.
Prior to the Van Rally Shoaib began a petition that asked for signatures in support of these measures. When the date for the July 2024 general election was set by Rishi Sunak at the end of May, the petition was automatically closed, but it still attracted over 46,000 names in just six weeks. Once a petition hits the 100,000 mark it is obliged to be debated in the House of Commons.
Having tools stolen can have devastating financial consequences for SME contractors. Not only does it deprive industry professionals of the means to make a living, if significant damage has been done to the vehicle during the prosecution of the offence itself then the van could be off the road for an extended period. Even if an insurance company does pay out it’s only likely to be a depreciated amount of the equipment’s actual value, which can leave the victim out of pocket by many thousands.
Nor should the emotional and psychological impact be underestimated. The construction sector has a well-documented issue with mental health, and it’s not just becoming a victim that can be to the detriment of personal well-being. Worrying about the safety of the equipment that it has taken an entire career to accrue can be another significant pressure point on tradespeople.
As some of the Van Rally crowd can testify it is far from uncommon to be hit more than once – with an entirely predictable outcome in every case. The police will issue a crime number, in the certain knowledge that no-one will be brought to justice and none of the tools will be recovered.
Peter Booth of Booth’s Plumbers was also a van rally protestor and tells us about his experiences. “I look on social media and can see three or four people being directly affected in a single day, and that’s why I wanted to get involved. Like most tradies I’ve been a victim
myself. The van was only parked up outside the job for a very short time when someone ran into me to say that my van was being broken into. They smashed a window and damaged the side doors. Because they were disturbed, they only got away with a couple of drills but it was far more consequential to me. I couldn’t use my van for a month, had to make do with a hire vehicle and replace what was taken.”
Thanks to Shoaib Awan Parliament Square was witness to an extraordinary protest from an army of tradespeople who had given up their valuable time to expose what has been described as a tool theft epidemic.
What’s more, Shoaib is promising that this is just the beginning.
The Professional Builder Podcast
The Trades United Van Rally was the subject of a recent Professional Builder podcast episode. The camaraderie amongst the participants was heartwarming and each had their own experience of tool theft. Use the rdr.link below to listen to Shoaib Awan and the other Van Rally attendees about why they felt compelled to act and what having their tools stolen meant to them.
To listen to the podcast episode click here
