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Gloucestershire Business News

Tradespeople demand urgent action on tool theft

Hundreds of tradespeople descended on Westminster yesterday (February 3) to demand urgent action on tool theft from the government.

They say tool theft is a growing epidemic and want the government to take action to protect their livelihoods, as reported by Heating & Ventilation News.

On The Tools, the UK's largest online construction community, says its data highlights the devastating impact of tool theft, with 78% of tradespeople having experienced theft and 94% of stolen tools never recovered.

And, despite rising concerns from industry and previous political attention, the organisation says tradespeople feel little has been done to address the issue.

On The Tools says tool theft threatens not only peoples' incomes, but also their mental wellbeing and family stability, with recent insights revealing that 85% of tradespeople worry at least weekly about theft.

Protesters want the government to improve police response to tool theft, strengthen sentencing guidelines and regulate online and second-hand resale markets to stop stolen tools from being resold.

On The Tools is encouraging people to write to their MPs and has provided a pre-drafted letter to use.

The letter states: "The financial impact is catastrophic (averaging £5,000 per incident) but the emotional cost is far worse. Tool theft has exacerbated the construction industry's mental health crisis, where workers already face one of the highest suicide rates in the UK. The constant fear of theft pushes some to breaking point."

Research from insurance company Direct Line shows that tool theft is reported every 12 minutes in the UK - a 5% increase from the previous year. The company also reported that around 83% of tradespeople said they had lost business due to tool theft.

And Simply Business, which insures over 200,000 tradespeople, revealed that self-employed tradespeople were hit by an estimated £193 million worth of tool theft in 2024.

The insurer said that to meet the government's ambitious housebuilding targets, protecting tradespeople from tool theft is vital to help reach these goals.

The Equipment Theft Prevention Act 2023 aims to curb theft in the agricultural sector, but tools essential to the construction workforce are not currently included.

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