Hunt for tool thieves as 18 vans broken into in one night in Staffordshire
A total of 18 tool vans have been broken into in a spate of thefts in just one week.
Staffordshire Police is urging tool van owners to secure their vehicles and remove any valuables.
The offenders appear to have cut holes in doors and locks, peeling panels back, and damaging windows in order to access the tools inside the vans.
Ford Transits, Vauxhall Vivaros and Mercedes Vitos are amongst the most commonly affected vehicles – where items such as Dewalt tools, drills, grinders and stereos have been reported stolen.
A total of 14 separate incidents were reported in Stafford, Lichfield and East Staffordshire from Monday to Tuesday, with eight of them taking place at residential locations, five at hotels and one at a business premises.
Two incidents were reported on Tuesday at a car park on Lichfield Road in Barton-under-Needwood, where tools including drills, grinders, and hedgecutters were stolen from two Ford Transits between 5:30pm on Monday and 7:10am on Tuesday.
Two incidents were also reported on Tuesday at a further car park on Rykneld Street, Lichfield, where a Ford Transit and a Mercedes Vito were broken into.
These offences took place between 5.30pm on Monday and 9am on Tuesday, although nothing was reported stolen.
A Volkswagen van parked at a car park on Second Avenue, Burton, was then targeted.
The rear door had been damaged by the offenders and it is believed the offence took place between 6pm on Monday and 9.15am on Tuesday - but no tools were reported stolen.
Between 3am and 3.30am on Tuesday, Bosch combi and SDS drills and a Bosch router, worth £400, were stolen from a Vauxhall Vivaro parked at a car park on Shropshire Brook Road, in Rugeley.
While at around 3.15am on Tuesday, a Renault Trafic and a Nissan NV300 were broken into near Lichfield Road, Rugeley.
No items were stolen and the offender was seen wearing a waterproof jacket with their hood up.
Chief Inspector Scott Gidman of the East Staffordshire Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “These type of offences can have a profound impact on the livelihoods of the victims.
“Van owners should remain vigilant and consider their vehicle’s security to mitigate the chances of them falling victim to such offences.
“Where possible, lock your van in a secure garage or use a steering lock to deter any opportunists from targeting your vehicle. If possible, make sure your van is parked in direct view of CCTV cameras.
“You should attempt to remove tools from vans overnight. An alternative can be to mark them clearly with their name using paint pens and sealing that with a clear lacquer spray.
“I would also suggest using a lockable cabinet and small cameras can also be installed inside vans.”
