Police are warning local van drivers to take care not to leave tools or other expensive equipment in their work vehicles when they are not in use, after 17 reported van break-ins resulted in the theft of over £22,000 worth of tools in under a month.
Chief Inspector Andy Houghton said: “Most of the vans have been broken into after normal working hours and I’d stress it’s particularly important people don’t leave valuable items in vans overnight as this is when most of the crimes have occurred.
“It only takes a moment for thieves to break into a van. Locking the van will help stop opportunist but determined thieves who are targeting vans for the, far too often, easy pickings inside, come equipped and will get in quickly and be away with your expensive tools or other valuables in moments.
“I’d urge all van drivers when at all possible to remove any tools from their van when it’s not in use as it could save them a lot of hassle and possibly being out of pocket by doing so.”
People are also being reminded not to leave valuable items on display in their vehicles and to not only lock the van but also to make sure all the windows are shut and alarm it if it has one. Valuable items can be recorded on the Immobilise website as police say it could help get your items back to you if they are recovered.