September 2nd, 2010
A puppeteer has suffered a huge blow that has left him on the verge of bankruptcy after the van he used for work was stolen, containing all of his puppets and other equipment worth £12,000.
The van was taken from the car park of the flats where John Jacques lives in Rawtenstall and he has been unable to perform his Punch and Judy act since, costing him thousands of pounds in lost earnings.
Jacques said:
“For the sake of a few hundred pounds in scrap metal, these thieves have put me on the brink of bankruptcy because I can’t perform anymore.
“I don’t make a fortune, I make a crust, and now I am struggling even more. To call these people scum is more than they deserve but that is the way the world works nowadays.”
Among the items inside the van were a puppet booth, barriers, mats, signs, a sound system and a total of 24 puppets.
Unfortunately, Jacques’ van insurance only covers him for accidents, so he will not be able to claim for the items within the van.
The van has not been seen since, but Jacques points out that the contents are of no use to anyone else.
September 1st, 2010
Police in Blackpool are warning van owners to be on their guard following a spate of thefts. Commercial vehicles have been targeted in the area of late, with 15 taken in August.
Van owners should note that in all cases, the keys were left in the ignition. Not only is this an open invitation to potential thieves, it may also invalidate your van insurance.
Police are advising commercial vehicle drivers to take care and follow basic security tips, such as never leaving their vehicle unlocked when they are away from it and keeping valuables out of sight.
Speaking on behalf of Blackpool police, Detective Constable James Weatherby said:
“We are investigating these incidents and are doing all we can to trace those responsible, but it is timely to remind drivers of some basic crime prevention advice.
“I would encourage all drivers to remember to remove their keys from the ignition and secure their doors.
“I would also advise motorists to try and park their vehicles in well-lit areas and not leave anything of value such as tools, sat navs and cash inside.”
September 1st, 2010
Wiltshire police are appealing for information as the rate of van thefts seems to be on the rise. So far this year, 13 commercial vehicles have been taken in Corsham, Box and Chippenham and it is thought that there may be one person or group of people responsible.
Vans are often targeted as they are more likely to contain tools or industrial equipment. Van insurance is vital, but can do little to deter opportunistic thieves.
Speaking on behalf of Wiltshire police, detective constable Andrew Morley said:
“It would appear that the majority of these thefts were opportunistic whereby the offender/s noticed that the vehicles were insecure and targeted them.
“Thieves are aware that vans are often used for work purposes and may contain valuable tools which they can sell on. I would therefore advise van owners to ensure that they always lock their vans and take the key with them, even if they are just leaving their vehicle for a couple of minutes.
“They should also not leave any valuable items on display and ensure that they remove all the tools from their vehicle each night.”
Morley went on to ask that anyone with any information regarding the thefts get in touch as well as anyone who had recently been offered industrial tools or goods.
August 31st, 2010
Following a series of thefts along the Fylde coast, police are encouraging van owners to take greater care with their vehicles.
Of the 15 vans that have been stolen during August, all were left with the keys in the ignition. Police are emphasising that not only should keys be removed, vans should also be locked, even if the owner is only getting out for a couple of minutes.
It is also recommended that vehicles should be parked in well-lit places at night and preferably off the road. If you cannot put your van in a garage, remove tools overnight and add a sign to say that you do so. This alone can be sufficient to deter potential thieves who target vans knowing that they are likely to contain valuable goods.
It is also worth noting that in many cases van insurance will be invalidated if the vehicle is taken after the owner left the vehicle unattended with the keys in the ignition. Take every care with your van to help combat crime.
August 28th, 2010
A van with power tools stored inside was stolen from Turriff recently. The van was located on the owner’s drive when it was stolen between the hours of 1am and 7:30am on the 25th of August.
Grampian Police are looking for the vehicle that has ‘Bruce Hendry, Turriff’ written on the side. It is a green VW transporter and anyone who has any information regarding its whereabouts should contact the police.
The tools stored inside the vehicle were estimated to be worth a large sum of money and were needed by the owner for his day-to-day business activities.
It can be distressing when your possessions are stolen, but when you use those possessions for your livelihood, it can cause further monetary problems. That’s why it’s so important that you make sure you have at least Third Party Fire and Theft van insurance that will cover you if your van is stolen. And have contents cover that will provide adequate monetary compensation if the tools inside your van are also stolen.
If your van insurance is due for renewal, why not have a look online and use a price comparison website?
August 27th, 2010
Following on from our news report earlier in the week regarding thefts from vans in Borehamwood, we bring further news about thefts from vans in the area.
This week there has been further thefts from vans. £5,000 worth of electric goods were taken from a van on Warwick Road early on Tuesday morning. In a separate incident tools and equipment in excess of £700 were taken from a vehicle that was parked at the Toby Carvery at around the same time.
On Tuesady items worth £3,000 were taken from a Volkswagen transit that was in the car park of the local Travellodge. Then on the Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning, £2,000 worth of power tolls were taken from a white Fiat van. Other items were stolen from a white Citroen van at around the same time and in the early hours of Wednesday morning a power drill and jigsaw were stolen from a white Fiat van.
Sue Jameson, Hertsmere Chief Inspector stated:
“Vans containing high value power tools have specifically been targeted.
“We are thoroughly investigating these offences but need van owners help as well as eagle-eyed drivers and pedestrians who may have seen anything suspicious on Tuesday night.
“If you use your tools for your work, it would be very inconvenient if they are stolen but you can prevent yourself from becoming a victim by removing these items, or anything else of value from your vehicle.
“That way, if thieves break in, there is nothing for them to steal. It seems common sense advice but it is amazing how many people become complacent and leave these items in their vans.”
There were two more attempted van break-ins this week but in both cases the alarm on the van deterred the thieves.
August 27th, 2010
A catering van has been stolen from an industrial site in Newcastle recently. The van was taken from the airport’s industrial site on Friday the 16th of July and has not been seen since.
Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward with any information they may have about the theft. They already have evidence that a grey Ford Sierra was seen hitching itself to the trailer on the morning of the day in question. All lines of enquiry have unfortunately drawn a blank and they are now hoping that a member of the public may have seen the trailer or may have information about its whereabouts.
The Police constable investigating the theft, Chris Haldane stated:
“The owners and victims of this theft have not only lost the trailer but also their business and livelihood.
“I’d urge anyone with any information to help us at least re-unite the victim of this crime to her rightfully owned property to come forward as soon as possible.”
It is important to have the right level of insurance for your van in case it is stolen. Otherwise all costs relating to the replacement or the repair, if recovered, of the van will have to be met by the van owner.
August 26th, 2010
Again we bring you a news story about thefts from vans. If you own a van, it’s really important that you have the right level of contents cover, so if your van contents are taken, you can make a claim and recover some of the costs.
After a number of thefts from vans in Surrey, police have made a statement warning van owners to protect their property.
In a theft on Wednesday, tools were stolen from a van in Lightwater, thieves forced the door to get entry to the vehicle.
It is estimated the tools inside the van were worth around the £800 mark and included power drills a jigsaw and other building equipment.
Just the week before, power drills were taken from a van in Guilford road when approximately £1,800 worth of equipment was taken. And on the same day, thieves also stole £400 worth of tools from a van in Ambleside Road.
Police Constable Debbie Reece stated:
“Our advice is to not keep tools in vehicles,
“But we appreciate that this is not always possible, especially during daylights hours when the van may still be in use, and would urge owners to put security measures in place.
“Any vehicle that is used to store valuable tools should be fitted with an alarm and ideally also an internal security cage to prevent anyone forcing their way in.”
August 26th, 2010
When police stopped a stolen van, they found the occupants had drugs and a dangerous weapon in their possession.
The stolen van was stopped on Monday by Chatham police; it had been reported missing on the Saturday from a home in Tilbury.
A syringe was found in the centre console by the police as well as other needles that were in possession by one of the occupants.
Police also located a taser during the search of the vehicle.
One of the occupants, a 29 year old woman, has been charged with theft and possession of stolen property. She has also been charged with two counts of drug possession and carrying a dangerous weapon. The other occupant, a man, has been charged with possessing drugs.
It can be really upsetting when your vehicle is stolen. And most vehicles that are stolen are used in further criminal incidents. That’s why it’s so important that you have the right level of van insurance, so if your vehicle is stolen and not recovered or written off, the insurance company will either repair or replace the vehicle.
August 26th, 2010
Having the right van insurance policy is of utmost importance if you own a van. As can be seen from the below news story, there is always somebody who will try to break into a van and steal the contents within.
After a spate of van thefts in South Gloucestershire, two men were finally arrested on Tuesday. Police caught up with the thieves in Filton when officers from the South Gloucestershire Crime team spotted a suspicious looking vehicle.
They stopped the vehicle and arrested the occupants.
One of the men arrested, a 28 year old from Cardiff was charged with stealing tools worth £3,000 from a van on the 17th of August and also stealing tools from another vehicle worth £2,500 on the 3rd of August.
The man has since been released on bail until the hearing next month.
As can be seen from above news story, it’s not just vehicles that are stolen. Thieves are realising that lots of people store valuable items such as tools inside a van, so the number of van related crime incidents has steadily risen.
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