Staying one step ahead of professional criminals intent on stealing tools from vans is becoming increasingly difficult for van operators.
No sooner is a new van launched then criminal gangs get busy working out ways to overcome its security systems.
Ian Curtis, vehicle risk assessment team leader at Thatcham Research, which is funded by the insurance industry, told What Van? at the 2025 IAATI (International Association of Auto Theft Investigators) Conference in October: “Organised gangs will buy a van and reverse engineer it,” which involves stripping out its components to see how the vehicle is protected to devise new methods of attack.
Curtis warns that in addition to tool theft, component theft is also an issue and claimed vans are “three to five years behind cars in [terms of] security”.
He points out motor insurers offer cover to vehicles themselves but not to their contents, meaning operators need to arrange this separately, and says most policies cover the cabin area but do not extend to the load space.
Curtis says there is currently no requirement for load space protection but that this could become mandatory from 2027.
Laura Moran, managing director of TVL Security, which sponsored the conference with Ford Pro, was recently appointed president of IAATI. She said: “TVL exists as a result of vehicle crime. We have a responsibility to do something about it.”
The Tell TVL initiative asks those who have had their light commercials stolen or items stolen from them to report all the details, with images, to the Tell TVL website, in addition to reporting the crime to the police. Securely recorded, as agreed with the National Business Crime Centre, the data is collated and shared with the law enforcement authorities in support of central efforts to crack down on van crime.
The numbers are startling: in 2023, TVL reported tools were stolen from a van every 20 minutes. In 2024, the frequency had increased to every 12 minutes.
Luke Powell, commercial director of TVL, claims that despite this epidemic, vans are often left unlocked in car parks. If they are locked, he says the most common method of attack is through the side loading doors.
TVL produces slam locks, hook locks, internal shields and external locks, which offer a visual deterrent. Powell says the firm is continually reviving its lock packs. New to the range is a latch safe bracket to prevent thieves snapping locks at their base. He says UK motor insurers do not yet recognise van operators who invest in lock packs (although it is hoped this will soon change) but says tool insurance premiums can benefit from investment in additional security.
“But if you don’t get broken into you don’t lose your no claims bonus,” he pointed
out. Powell estimates £5,000 is the typical hit to a victim of tool theft.
Simon Hurr, a physical vehicle security specialist at Ford, which has partnered with TVL since 2021 to install factory-fitted locks in its LCVs, argues many businesses are reluctant to invest in additional lock packs until their vans are broken into.
“Security is a grudge purchase,” he said, “people don’t want to pay for it until they are a victim of crime.”
Some in the industry also argue that fitting security systems to vans in the production process is not a priority for manufacturers.
Thatcham’s Curtis said: “Ford is proactive, not all manufacturers are.”
Curtis gave details of the research body’s New Vehicle Security Assessment (NVSA), which examines how quickly vehicles can be broken into and then how quickly they can be mobilised and driven away. The standard for the former requires the vehicle’s security features to resist being breached for a minimum of two minutes, while the latter, which focuses on electronic start systems, stipulates a minimum of five minutes for an attack to mobilise the vehicle.
In addition to the legal requirement of the VIN (vehicle identification number) label, which covers the whole vehicle, Curtis said: “We want manufacturers to mark parts, so they are traceable.”
Dave Luscombe, strategic alliance manager at Datatag, advises tradespeople to “remove the value of tools” on the black market by using electronic tags to make them easily identifiable by law enforcers.
He says the prime times for tool thefts are Friday and Saturday nights, ahead of the largely unregulated Sunday boot sales which, together with online marketplaces, have become notorious for selling on stolen goods.
Ironically, Luscombe says, tradespeople are often to be found at car boot sales buying tools to replace the ones they have had stolen. He called on tradespeople to campaign against buying stolen tools, rather than just expecting the government or the police to deal with the problem.
Alice Lester, senior brand manager for the On the Tools online community for the construction industry, drew attention to the emotional toll paid by the victims of tool theft. She said 86% of tradespeople worried about tool theft every week and claimed 39% of tool theft victims suffered mental health problems as a result of the crime.
Lester said the cost-of-living crisis had contributed to rising tool theft and that tradespeople felt it had now become “normalised” within their working lives. She added that they had little faith their stolen tools would be recovered and returned to them.
One measure suggested at the IAATI Conference to reduce the trade in stolen tools was to mandate serial number checks for second-hand tools prior to sale. Better accountability in the chain between manufacturers, retailers and end users was also called for.
Sara Fisher, head of operations for the British Parking Association (BPA), flagged up the importance of reducing crime in car parks through the installation of BPA signage and through enlisting a Design Out Crime Officer (DOCO) to inspect sites in person to advise on security improvements. Fisher lamented the lack of protection against crime provided in most hotel car parks, with extra cost for customers cited as the most common reason for not installing security equipment.
“Tradespeople are willing to pay for secure parking,” she said.
Dave Catlow, motor vehicle crime lead for the Metropolitan Police, focused on legislation.
He said: “I’d like to see Section 27 of the Theft Act [utilised] if you’re caught handling stolen goods.” Catlow said this could lead to custodial sentences of five years for those indicted for handling stolen tools.
He also called for a change in regulations to make it more difficult for people to use their land for car boot sales, where he claimed “£100 drills are going for £10 or £15.”
Over the last two years, Callow said the Metropolitan Police has rolled out a series of events to highlight the benefits of tool marking.
“We are trying to change the culture,” he said. “If you sell a tool, mark it.”
Shoaib Awan, a gas engineer at The Gas Expert and founder of the campaign group Trades United, which has organised two rallies to Parliament Square, Westminster to raise awareness of tool theft and the selling on of stolen goods, endorsed this sentiment.
“Register and mark tools to get them back [and] educate tradespeople to do it,” he said.
There are many approaches that can be taken to fight back against tool theft but with organised criminal gangs clearly finding it to be a lucrative business – a joined up, united front is needed to stem the tide.
As Awan said: “It’s essential for communities, policymakers and law enforcement agencies to work together to address this epidemic and provide support for those affected.”
