British tradespeople have been issued with an urgent warning as tool theft continues to rise, as businesses face a £3.5billion hit.
New data has found that the value of stolen tools has jumped by over 40 per cent compared to 2023, averaging a rate of £2,433.
More than one in four van owners across the UK have admitted to falling victim to tool theft, rising nine per cent compared to 19 per cent in 2023.
Shockingly, over a quarter (27 per cent) of instances of tool theft were valued at more than £3,500, compared to just 10 per cent in 2023.
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UK van drivers are facing the brunt of these concerning crime figures, with tool theft identified as one of the biggest risks for tradespeople.
In addition to the huge financial toll, drivers are also forced to take days off to restock their vans and repair any damage that may have impacted their vehicles.
The data from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles shows that the overwhelming majority (86 per cent) of tool theft victims had to take an average of almost four days off work.
One in five people had to take more than a week off work last year, potentially hammering trade across the UK and severely harming the profits of small and medium-sized businesses.
Drivers are being urged to ensure they are taking steps to minimise the risk of tool theft
| GETTYIn 2023, motorists took an average of just 1.9 days off after having their tools stolen, highlighting the massive rise in cases over the last 12 months.
John Ricardo-Neto, head of product planning at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, acknowledged that tool theft remains a huge issue for van drivers and businesses.
He continued, saying: "It's concerning to see the number of incidences and the scale of their impact continuing to rise."
Mr Ricardo-Neto then encouraged motorists to take additional precautions to minimise the risk of having their belongings stolen by criminals.
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He suggested that van drivers could utilise theft prevention technologies, ensure tools are secured, and park in well-lit areas to reduce the likelihood of being impacted.
The expert pointed to the new Volkswagen Transporter, which received the Euro NCAP Platinum Award for safety design.
Drivers can select optional features when buying the Transporter, including anti-theft alarm systems, interior monitoring, back-up horn and towing protection.
When the anti-theft alarm is activated, the system will sound the horn and activate the hazard lights.
Tradespeople have previously protested in London to complain about the issue of tool theft
|PA
This should draw attention to the vehicle and alert any pedestrians or motorists to the potential incident.
The National Business Crime Centre highlighted research from insurer Direct Line, which found that tools are stolen from a tradesperson's vehicle every 20 minutes on average.
It called on drivers to mark any tools in their vehicles that are at risk of being stolen with a property marking kit and register them on a database.
This is already a popular method to track the theft of catalytic converters, with the tracking information being passed to the police and second-hand dealers to assist with any search investigation.