Police issue van warning following thefts across Leicestershire

The reminder comes following a spate of offences across the county over the past fortnight, including one in Lutterworth.

Police analysis shows that the offences are happening during the hours of darkness from hotel car parks and when vehicles are parked outside or on the driveways of home addresses.

Detective Inspector Mark Ringrose, from the Force Investigation Unit, said; “We have made some significant arrests recently but incidents are still being reported to us. We know that it can be inconvenient to remove tools from your van, especially if you are staying in a hotel, but it can be even more inconvenient if your tools are stolen and you can’t work until you replace them.

“Power tools can be really expensive which is why they are attractive to thieves so we’d urge builders and tradespeople to think about the security of their vehicles, consider fitting a cage and a stronger external lock and think about where it is parked.”

“We want to receive information about who is committing these offences, if you see any suspicious behaviour please report it to the police or use Crimestoppers which is free an anonymous.”

Police advise you;

• Remove all tools from your van especially at night

• If you have a garage, use it

• Consider alarming the vehicle or fitting an internal security cage

• Park in well-lit areas

• If you park on a drive install security lights

• Visibly mark your machinery and tools and make a note of serial numbers

• If possible, reverse your van close to a wall to stop the doors being opened

If you see any suspicious behaviour please call 101 of call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.