For as long as there have been vans, there have been those that try to break into them, and the start of this year has seen a number of incidents already recorded.

Thieves have recently decided to target vans in one of the most expensive streets in the country. Following a number of thefts in Oxshott, police have been reminding van owners that they should not leave their tools in their vehicles.

Van thefts have always been a rather common occurrence, and it seems that they may be becoming even more common place in modern times, despite safer, securer locking devices. Perhaps the economic climate is leading to increased crime? Of course, financial difficulties are absolutely no excuse for committing crimes and these thefts must be dealt with by the police appropriately.

Lunch Time Robberies

On Tuesday 3rd January a total of five offences were recorded in Leys Road and Princes Drive between 12pm and 2pm. That is a remarkably high number of incidents within the space of two hours, and it is a shame that the thieves were not caught red handed by the police! Whilst the owners of the vans were likely to be hard at work, or indeed settling down to some lunch, they were unaware that their vehicles were being targeted.

Thieves reportedly got away with a range of items that they could then sell on, including three drills and two hand saws from a red Vauxhall Combo van that was parked in Princes Drive. A white Renault Kangoo van and a white Vauxhall Combo van were also targeted and broken into by thieves. Various tools were stolen and the villains got away.

Advice Given

Van owners have now been advised to remove all their tools from their vehicles, and Elaine Burtenshaw, an Elmbridge crime reduction adviser, has stated: “When tools are stolen it can cause a great deal of stress for the owner, particularly if they are self-employed. Apart from the hassle of trying to replace them, it is often very costly and can provide a major blow to small businesses .”

A cheap commercial van insurance quote will help to protect your van and you may find that your tools are indeed covered, however, as Ms Burtenshaw mentions, it can be a great hassle to get tools replaced, and the stress and strain that can be put on a small business is very damaging indeed.

So, we are asking, has your van ever been targeted? If you have indeed ever been targeted by thieves, did you manage to continue operating as normal, or, was there a substantial amount of disruption caused?

If there is any advice you can give to those who have been victims of these crimes, then please do let us know!