Tool thefts on the rise

Tools worth £98 million were stolen from tradespeople in 2023 according to new analysis by Direct Line business insurance.

In total, 44,514 incidents of tool theft were reported to police forces in 2023, a 5% increase from 2022, which equates to a tool theft reported every 12 minutes.

Last year saw 24,543 reports of tool theft from a vehicle, up 14% from the previous year, accounting for over half (55%) of all tool thefts in 2023.

Aston spoke to criminologist Dr Kate Tudor and Jonny McHugh, head of small business insurance at Direct Line.

Photo by Eugen Str on Unsplash