Overview

• Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles reports the total value of stolen tools has jumped by more than 40% year on year, with an average loss of £2,433 per incident.
• More than one in four van owners in England say they have been victims, up from 19% in 2023.
• High-value cases are rising, with 27% of thefts now exceeding £3,500 compared with 10% two years ago.
• Operational disruption is severe, as 86% of victims took an average of nearly four days off work to recover and replace equipment.
• The National Business Crime Centre cites Direct Line data indicating a theft roughly every 20 minutes, while police and Volkswagen urge steps such as removing tools overnight, marking and registering equipment, parking under CCTV, and opting for anti-theft systems.