Tradesmen join forces with police to launch fightback against vile tool thieves

GB News met with some of the tradespeople promoting new security measures and a culture of support at a tool marking event at Travis Perkins in Watford, where SelectaDNA offered free synthetic DNA tool marking kits to trademen.

After a van break-in that left him with £8,500 of costs and unable to work, Shoaib Awan, aka The Gas Expert, last year created a petition calling for the Government to ban the sale of used power tools at car boot sales and markets.

Awan said: “People think tool theft is a hammer or a drill being stolen. It’s not, it’s your livelihood. You can’t replace these things”.

“I had to cancel my family holiday because I couldn’t afford to do it, it affected me in so many different ways, that’s why I started the petition”.

The petition gained over 46,000 signatures, and although the Government has no current plans for such a sales ban, it says it recognises the impact of this crime, and is consulting on how new laws and other crime prevention measures can best protect a van and its contents.

Meanwhile, tradesmen are spreading awareness through social media about what they can do to help themselves and rally against this devastating crime.

Frankie Williams, who runs the Instagram account Stolen Tools UK, says he receives between 20 and 25 messages per day from victims of tool theft.

Williams uses social media to encourage victims of tool theft to come forward and find support.

He said: “Many years ago before social media presence, you were alone, but now we’re saying to people, look you’re not alone, there’s a big community behind all this, big brands, bigs companies, big individuals, we’re one big family, don’t grieve alone in terms of being a victim.”

“We’ve had victims come forward and communities and brands have kindly gathered tools together, Blip Insurance have done insurance for a person who’s lost their tools, you know, just stuff like that.”

Danny Madden of Madden Builders and presenter of The Fix Radio Roofing Show has been a victim of tool theft on six other occasions, including an attempted van break-in during lockdown when he fought the thieves off himself.

Subsequently, he says, the thieves returned and smashed his windows and threatened him with a knife in retaliation.

Talking about the impact of these thefts, Madden said: “You can imagine the stress when you're running a job and you've got deadlines to meet, you've got clients to keep happy and all of a sudden, not only have your tools been stolen, but your van’s a wreck.

“The door doesn't shut properly - it's been bent, it's been vandalised - you can't shut it - you can't secure it.

“You've got to then go and buy new tools, you've got to try and get on to the insurance company.

“All of that stress is huge on a sole trader, someone that's self-employed, you don't work, you don't get paid, so it's absolutely devastating.”

Madden is keen to show that tool marking is making a difference, and uses his social media following to promote it.

The kits use invisible synthetic DNA that enables police to quickly identify if tools have been stolen, and return them to their owner in the event of theft.

SelectaDNA also says that displaying the warning sticker in your vehicle reduces the likelihood of theft in the first place.

Metropolitan Police Sergeant Dave Catlow says that while tool marking might not guarantee that stolen tools will be returned to their owner, it is a vital piece of the puzzle in securing convictions.

Currently, Catlow says, tool theft is high reward-low risk, and he wants to reverse that.

He said: “Only by putting these people inside are we going to stem and slow it down.”

Tradesmen looking to secure their tools can attend an upcoming tool marking event on June 18 at Howdens, Kent.

Gillingham Depot, Bournevale Dist Centre, Unit 11, Saracen Close, ME8 0QN - 8.30am to 12.30pm including set-up and pack-up time

Strood Depot, Gemini House ME2 4DJ - 1.30pm to 5pm, including set-up and pack-up time