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.
