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Tool thefts in England

Yes thanks for raising this Gary, it’s a very real problem and as said it can finish people both financially and emotionally.
I’ve never suffered theft from a van as my work was workshop based, but very early on (50 years ago) my workshop was broken into, the Police actually arrested the B…… and I was invited down to his lockup to identify my stuff. It was alarmed of course lol. He had also broken into a wholesalers and because he could presumably he had a wall socket every 18” around the walls!
My last workshop was inspected by my insurance company and the guy was overwhelmed as to how secure it was, and he said it was the first time he didn’t have any recommendations.
But my main defence was always that the outside looked pretty derelict and there was no mention of what went on inside.
“No tools left in this van overnight “ it’s almost an invitation.
Ian
 
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I had my old Escort van broken into in the early 90's and they stole about £1500 worth of tools.....I called the police and they turned up , but didn't offer me much hope of them catching the b a s t a r d s.
The officer told me there had been a spate of tool thefts in the area over the past couple of weeks and they had a very good idea who was responsible, but couldn't find any evidence to prove it.

I asked him if he could just suggest the name of their suspect and I would make my own "enquiries"....He just laughed and said no, coz he knew what I may do if I found the guy and my tools....🤬🤬😡
 
I used to empty all my tools out of the van into the workshop every night, a real PITA but it became part of my routine.

I'll have told the story before when we had months of shed breakins in the village, car fuel lines cut including my daughters and neighbour who was a detective inspector at the time, a couple of car thefts etc. Everyone knew the culprit but the police couldn't get anything to stick as the courts just gave him a smacked wrist. We had a number of Bobbies living here who were frustrated and one night a small group of villagers 😉 got hold of him, broke his jaw and had a quiet word. He moved out of the village a few weeks later and the problem was solved completely.
I'm not advocating violence but sometimes it's the only message these scrotes understand.

A while later the idiot went into the sub post office in an area he used to live and held up the postmaster with a fake gun while his striking albino girlfriend in her equally distinctive souped up Mini waited in full view outside. The postmaster had been in the same class as him at school so by the time he got home the police were waiting on his doorstep to arrest him. :ROFLMAO: He got prison for that one.
 
I love that term Bob used to describe those miscreants. It was probably the most commonly used term when I was serving.

I wonder if they're still allowed to use it. :)
 
£17,000 worth of tools/damage and the police just wanted to give him a crime reference number. I had a (aluminium, road worker type) brick lobbed at me from the other side of thw road from a Highway Maintenance type vehicle. Police officer first called me up to help prepare me to say I'd not like to take further action as it would just be a wasted bit of time. On the ring road around Leeds that was.

Then a few months later after a training day or something in the centre of Leeds, bus driver sped up towards me as I was crossing the road. This time the police officer on the phone seemed slightly more 'concerned'. Told me that they'd be chasing up the CCTV from the bus drivers vehicle and asked if I'd like to press charges. I said yes, now been almost 2 months and heard nothing more.

Sorry, for adding that depressing bit of info, but seems the police are either so inundated pr they just don't give a damp. Well done whoever broke jaw of 'said scrote' which appears to have done half the trick. My mate (new joinery business, more Festool gear than you could shake a stick at, for a new startup) who always empties his van... I'll send him this so he can continue to remain vigilant.
 
Our previous favourite electrician had his business destroyed by van thefts. He had three vans as he had two employees. All three were kept in a compound outside his house. One night the compound was accessed using a digger to pull the fencing down, all of the tools and two vans were stolen. This was near Tunbridge Wells which is supposed to be a genteel area. He quit the UK. Went to Ireland which was a loss as he is an excellent sparky.

It has to be said that buying second hand tools from eBay, FB marketplace etc probably feeds this kind of criminality.
 
Reminds me of the joke:

A man is about to go to bed when his wife looks out the window and says, "Dear, it looks like there is someone in your tool shed!"
Sure enough, two guys are stealing his stuff. He immediately calls the police telling them that if they hurry they can catch the thieves. The dispatcher says, "I'm sorry sir, but all our officers are busy. We'll send someone 'round in the morning, though."
The man hangs up, fuming. He waits a minute, then calls the police again.
"I just reported a robbery in progress. You don't have to worry, now. I just shot the two blokes and they are dead."

In two minutes six police cars, a swat team, and a helicopter arrive. The thieves are immediately arrested and hauled off.

The officer in charge is furious, however. He yells at the owner," I though you said you shot these guys!"

The owner folds his arms and says, "I thought you said you were busy!"
 
GaryR said:
Reminds me of the joke:

A man is about to go to bed when his wife looks out the window and says, "Dear, it looks like there is someone in your tool shed!"
Sure enough, two guys are stealing his stuff. He immediately calls the police telling them that if they hurry they can catch the thieves. The dispatcher says, "I'm sorry sir, but all our officers are busy. We'll send someone 'round in the morning, though."
The man hangs up, fuming. He waits a minute, then calls the police again.
"I just reported a robbery in progress. You don't have to worry, now. I just shot the two blokes and they are dead."

In two minutes six police cars, a swat team, and a helicopter arrive. The thieves are immediately arrested and hauled off.

The officer in charge is furious, however. He yells at the owner," I though you said you shot these guys!"

The owner folds his arms and says, "I thought you said you were busy!"
Click to expand...
This is no joke. A guy that used to live in (I suppose, council property or something sort of high-turnover flat) the opposite property overlooking ours. One night he was jumping through the various gardens at my house and the neighbours. Yielding what looked to be a massive forearm length knife.

All the neighbours were stressed including me. Multiple phone calls to the police and they turn up. Annoyed at me and the neighbours, but asking said knifeman 'are you ok love'. Or something like that. My 65ish year old 2 doors away neighbour was as confused as I was!
Not sure if he had just stabbed his GF but thats what we had originally been afraid of due to the wording coming our his mouth!

Wierd, UK?!
 
Luckily I've never had any tools stolen or break ins but I do take my tools out of my van every night, my tools are basically three stacks of systainers on roll boards so it's easy for me to take them into my house.

A kitchen fitter I know had some tools stolen in broad daylight. He parked in a customers drive, got out of his van and knocked on the door. Customer opened door and invited him in, after a brief hello customer asked "Would you like a tea or coffee?", he placed his order and she then asked "And what about the lad?". He was by himself so there was a bit of confusion until she pointed through the window at the young lad taking tools out of the van who she had presumed was with him........The police said they were seeing it more and more that the thieves would follow a tradesman's van until it parked up then quickly grab a few things while the tradesman was in and out of the house unloading stuff 😡
 
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