By submitting a freedom of information request to police constabularies across the UK, Toolstation was able to gather statistics on tool thefts across UK regions from 2019 and 2020.

At the top of the list is the Northern England/South-East Scotland constabulary of Northumbria with a total of 1,398 tool thefts from vehicles in 2020 alone. This equates to over £2 million worth of tools being stolen in just one year.

Next on the list is Kent, with 1,138 reports of stolen tools. The London-bordering county lost £1.6 million due to tool thefts in 2020 alone.

In stark contrast, Gloucestershire had just 26 tool thefts reported in the whole of 2020. This is 54 times less than the number of tool thefts reported in the number one hotspot.

Data from the Metropolitan police reveals that London boroughs recorded 17,469 reports of tool theft last year, with Enfield residents being the most at risk, with 1,096 cases reported. This totals a loss of £978,525 for the London borough.

Next on the list in Barnet with 1,033 tool thefts reported. This is closely followed by Newham with 820.

Heathrow, at a contrast reported just 8 tool thefts in the whole year, that’s 137 times less than the number of tool thefts reported in Enfield.

Using the statistics on how many tools were stolen and what tools were stolen, it was possible to calculate the estimated costs endured by those who had the items stolen from them.

The most stolen tool across the UK was a drill, with a count of 380 drills taken, which is an overall cost of £50,160. While 47% of tool thefts happen due to car doors not being locked, 73% of thefts happen during weekdays, suggesting owners are not as careful on these days.

Tools not only hold monetary value, they also represent the livelihood of tradespeople. The best deterrent for theft is often added security. So it may be worth investing in extra vehicle security, or even home security such as CCTV to protect your vehicle when parked overnight.

Toolstation spoke to expert Lee Devlin, MD at Homecure Plumbers, to get his advice on preventing tool theft in the future. He shared the following advice:

• Never leave your tools in your van or vehicle overnight if you can - Tools kept in a van or vehicle is too tempting for criminals. Where possible, store them in a locked premises/site unit when working away from home or take them home with you just to be sure.
• Invest in a sticker - No, really! You can buy an inexpensive notice that says ‘tools are not left in here’ or ‘No tools are left in this vehicle overnight’ which can help deter thieves from attempting to break into your vehicle.
• Park your van close to the side of your house/a wall/obstacle - When parking up, ensure your vehicles’ rear doors are facing an obstacle, with a maximum gap of 1ft, preventing thieves from opening doors sufficiently enough to get or see into.
• Park your van in a locked garage - If you have access to a locked garage, be sure to use it, as this help to keep vehicles out of sight and adds an additional barrier for thieves.
• Check your vehicles alarm regularly - Check the alarms and locking features on your vehicles are working and noises can be heard loudly and attract attention when sounding.
• Have an immobiliser fitted to your vehicle - Some thieves might try to take the whole vehicle and not just tools. To prevent this, have an immobiliser installed (and check it is working) to prevent thieves from simply ‘hotwiring’ your vehicle.
• Use a good quality lock/padlock on rear doors - Invest in good quality (and additional) locks for your rear doors to help provide added protection, increasing the effort would be thieves would need to put in to break into your vehicle and steal tools
• Stop thieves from looking in and reduce sight lines - Blackout tints, films and even partitions can help reduce the sightlines of thieves and prevent them from casing out your vehicle or knowing what is kept inside.
• Keep tool bags and boxes close on public transport - When travelling to jobs via public transport with tools, keep them close to you and preferably in front of you, so you can keep an eye on them, and don't leave them unattended in overhead racks.
• Ask employers and professional bodies for advice - New security devices and features are regularly being released, with professional bodies often providing both advice and updates on how to find and use new techniques.
• Take out adequate insurance for both your vehicle and tools - If needed, especially for self-employed tradespeople, make sure your vehicle has the correct insurance and ideally invest in additional tool insurance to ensure you are doubly covered should they get lost or stolen in transit or on-site.”