Theft from vans is a daily occurrence in cities and towns around the UK, we know that for sure, but the quiet village? It’s not so quiet right now.
Instead, if you take a walk around any village in the UK at night and in the early hours of the morning, then if you listen closely you will hear the sound of ambitious van thieves going about their trade.
The most common target for these thieves is power tools, that are often left in the back of vans by tradespeople such as builders, roofers, electricians, carpenters, and welders.
Back in the good old days your typical UK village was a safe haven from the nightly crimewaves that were gripping cities and towns.
You could park up your van in a country lane, go to a local village pub with your mates, and then when you got back everything would still be there…power tools as well.
These days, if you park your van down a country lane and go for a walk across the local farm, then by the time you get back your van will have been stripped bare, to the point where all you will be left with is the wellington boots on your feet.
Take villages in Cambridgeshire as a recent example, once safe and picturesque places to visit but now a prime target for those van criminals.
Between October 17th and 24th there was a reported six incidents of van crime in just two Cambridgeshire villages, where an estimated £8000 worth of power tools were stolen.
Police in the area are advising the public to be vigilant, and if they see anyone acting suspiciously then contact them immediately.
The problem is that these criminal gangs are so organised, and so well versed in what they do…that they are often in and out before anyone knows they were there.
Even if you do see something or catch them in the act on CCTV, the Police are typically so slow to respond that it isn’t even worth the bother. The van criminals are long gone before the cops show up…back to their base in the city where the loot can be offloaded.
“Just let your van insurance company take care of it,” a normal response might be from the Police, and ideally that is what would happen.
However, many tradespeople are deciding not to insure the contents of their van, which means when power tools go missing they have no cover. They have to be replaced out of their own pocket.
My advice to any van owner in the villages around the UK is to make sure you are fully covered for everything you keep in your van. This means power tools of course. Use a van insurance comparison website site to get the really cheap prices.