Tradesman urges tougher punishment for tool thieves

A fed-up tradesman is calling for tougher punishments for tool thieves after becoming the latest victim in the Newark area.

Electrician Jack Hayes lost £5,000-worth of equipment when his van was broken into in broad daylight.

He is urging people to sign a petition launched by a self-employed carpenter calling on Prime Minister Theresa May to introduce tougher penalties for thieves who steal from vans.

Mr Hayes, who works for Balderton firm One Electrical Contractors, was in a client’s house on Winchilsea Avenue, Newark, when the thieves struck.

Police acknowledge there have been a number of similar offences.

Mr Hayes said: “I took on a maintenance job and spent only about an hour inside the house.

“When I went back out all the doors of the van were closed except the back one, which was slightly ajar.

“They had managed to get into a locked van without causing any damage, which was a bit of a saving grace, but they took everything, including hand tools and about £2,000-worth of power tools.

“The hand tools are all hard ones to find and I have had some of them since I was 16.”

Mr Hayes, 27, of Balderton, said he had to borrow money from his family to replace some of the tools.

'Massively disheartening'

He has also borrowed £800 to cover the cost of improved security to his van.

“If it is your own stuff you should not have to go through all that to secure it,” he said.

“I have got a young family and my missus is not working at the moment so she can look after our boy.”

Mr Hayes estimated it would cost £5,000 to replace all the stolen tools.

He said that did not include the work he had to delay as a result of the theft.

“This is massively disheartening,” he said.

“They [the culprits] are just as bad as those who take from old people because they are robbing people’s livelihoods."

Mr Hayes had tools stolen from his van 11 months ago in an overnight raid and beefed up security at his home as a result, including putting floodlights outside where his van was parked.

The national petition, which has more than 46,000 signatures, also calls on the Government to introduce low or interest-free emergency loans to tradespeople affected by theft.

'When you are at work, your van is vulnerable'

Inspector Louise Clarke, of Newark Police, said: “We acknowledge that the loss of tools directly affects your ability to go out and work, together with the inconvenience and cost of repairing any damage and how impactive this can be for victims.

“My advice is to remove anything valuable that you rely on to do your job from your van when parked on the street or in driveways.

“Please be mindful when you are at work that your van is vulnerable. Lock it at all times and set your alarm, if fitted.”

Natalie Gasson, regional development manager at the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said: “It is a real shame to see our local tradespeople suffering from thefts.

“These are individuals who want to concentrate on getting on with doing a good job.

“They should not have to spend time looking over their shoulders worrying about security.

“We would encourage tradespeople to arrange highly secure locations for valuable goods and equipment and use them whenever it is practical to do so.

“It is vital to have the right insurance for valuable goods and equipment.

“FSB members can call our legal helpline round the clock for advice on what would be suitable for their circumstances.”

Anyone with information about the theft from Mr Hayes, which happened between 1pm and 2pm, should contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101 quoting incident number 538 of January 18.