The key facts

  • At least 26,164 tool thefts were recorded in 2025 by 30 police forces; a further 15 forces did not respond, so the real figure is higher
  • At least 26,164 tool thefts were recorded in 2025 according to 30 police forces; a further 15 forces did not respond, so the real figure is higher
  • The average insurance payout for tool theft in 2025 was £4,206.60 (Direct Line for Business)
  • The Metropolitan Police has begun warning car boot sale organisers about criminal liability for facilitating the sale of stolen goods under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
  • The Metropolitan Police began warning car boot sale organisers of criminal liability for facilitating the sale of stolen goods under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002

The scale of the problem

Tools worth thousands of pounds were stolen somewhere in the UK on average every 20 minutes last year. According to the BBC Shared Data Unit, in 2025, 30 police forces recorded a total of at least 26,164 tool thefts; a further 15 forces were unable to provide data, so the real figure is likely higher. According to Labour MP Amanda Martin, both organised gangs and opportunistic 'chancers' are behind the crimes, and she is calling on the government to do more.

What traders lose

For tradespeople, this is not just a loss of property but a loss of their livelihood. Lulzim Pjetri, owner of Alliance Refrigeration Group in Birmingham, was targeted six times in a year: once, thieves broke into his van while two employees were having lunch in the cab — without masks, armed with crowbars, telling them it was not worth resisting. Replacing the tools in each van costs him up to £7,000 plus £4,000–5,000 in repairs, not counting vehicles out of action for weeks. According to insurers Direct Line for Business, the average insurance payout for tool theft in 2025 was £4,206.60. Kerry Field, owner of Change It Homes in Warwickshire, lost £10,000 worth of tools and motorcycles in a single break-in and spent another £10,000 on security — gates, cameras and a rescue dog. He says many people do not even report thefts to the police, having no hope of getting their tools back.

The response

The Home Office said it is working with the police to prevent thefts, including through stronger neighbourhood policing — more than 3,800 additional officers — and 'historic' £18.5 billion funding for police forces, as well as working with industry and using AI to tackle the sale of stolen goods. Martin is pushing for tougher sentences and regulation of the secondary market, including pawnshops and online platforms: sellers should have to prove they owned the tool. Sergeant Dave Catlow of the National Business Crime Centre notes that a significant share of thefts is the work of organised groups, and stolen goods are transported across the country and abroad for resale.

Police and car boot sales

There are already concrete results. In Lincolnshire, police dismantled a rural gang of five people who travelled in old 4x4 vehicles with cloned number plates, mostly at night and wearing masks; last month they were jailed. The Metropolitan Police has begun sending car boot sale organisers notices about possible criminal liability under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 if they knowingly facilitate or turn a blind eye to the sale of stolen goods and counterfeits. Catlow believes this has already reduced the number of traders selling tools at police-vetted car boot sales. In early October, police visited the Bonzer Car Boot Sale in Romford along with Kaiser — a two-year-old Alsatian rescue dog from SelectaDNA, trained to detect liquid DNA marking on tools. The landowner, who asked to remain unnamed, said he would do everything necessary to stamp out such trading.

Six uniformed police officers wearing protective equipment including helmets marked with fluorescent writing showing collar numbers, take part in a raid of a house. Five are standing behind one officer who is forcing open the front door with a handheld battering ramImage source, Lincolnshire Police
Image caption,

Lincolnshire Police raided the homes of a rural gang behind a wave of tool thefts

Lulzim Pjetri looks down the barrel of the camera with his arms folded across his chest and a frustrated facial expression. He has a chinstrap beard and moustache, shaved head and is a strongly built, tall man. He is in his workshop and behind him is a marked van with his business's livery on the cab.
Image caption,

Lulzim Pjetri says the

Kerry Field stands outside a portable building office at his business's site wearing an open collared white shirt and a black jacket branded with his business's logo 'Change It'. His facial expression looks resigned and frustrated. A lapel microphone can be seen on his jacket as he is mid-interview by BBC News.
Image caption,

Kerry Field said the thieves who broke in

Amanda Martin MP smiles at the camera, with her blonde hair down and hooped earrings showing. She is wearing a navy trouser suit and green blouse with a bow. She is in a well-lit atrium with a mirror behind her
Image caption,

Amanda Martin MP says courts should consider the wider impact of theft on people

Gareth Powley looks at the camera side-on and is smiling with his teeth showing. He is wearing a white shirt with an open collar and navy suit. Behind him is a sign for a Fix Radio Tool Theft conference 2026 and half the slogan 'Enough Is [Enough]' can be seen.
Image caption,

Gareth Powley said Direct Line for Business tried to settle claims quickly to help

Kaiser looks at the camera wide-eyed and with his large tongue hanging out of the right side of his mouth. His collar can be seen as can his lead
Image caption,

Kaiser, a two-year-old Alsatian rescue dog, is helping police to find stolen tools

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A collection of recovered tools in the back of a lorry. Toolboxes, machinery and lawnmowers can be seen piled up.A white van with its window smashed. Another two white vans can be seen parked behind it in a row.Steve Piller, with black hair and a beard and dressed in black, stands in front of his truck and next to his dad, Simon, who has short white hair and is wearing a black t-shirt.