{"id":36127,"date":"2025-05-14T10:14:55","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T10:14:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/?post_type=knowledge&p=36127"},"modified":"2025-05-22T13:02:25","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T13:02:25","slug":"tool-theft-in-2025-tougher-sentences-coming-soon","status":"publish","type":"knowledge","link":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/trades\/tool-theft-in-2025-tougher-sentences-coming-soon\/","title":{"rendered":"Tool theft in 2025: tougher sentences coming soon?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Last year alone, tool theft cost self-employed tradespeople over \u00a3193 million, according to research by Simply Business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For tradespeople, tool theft isn’t just about stolen equipment; it grinds work to halt, has a huge financial impact, and can make you feel like you\u2019re back to square one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The majority of tradespeople (78 per cent) have had tools stolen at some point and there\u2019s regular campaigning from organisations in the construction industry for tool theft to be taken more seriously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a bill now passing through parliament that aims to increase the sentencing for tool theft, plus renewed focus from the police on catching sellers of stolen tools, there\u2019s hope things could change.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tool theft \u2013 harsher sentencing on the way?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Theft of Tools of Trade (Sentencing) Bill<\/a> has just passed its first reading in parliament. The purpose of the bill is to increase the sentencing category for tool theft from category three to category two. This would mean tool theft would be considered a more serious crime in the eyes of the law.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The logic for the upgrade in severity is because of the amount of disruption tool theft causes for businesses, as well as the financial impact. Amanda Martin, the MP for Portsmouth North who tabled the bill, said: “When you add in the value of the work loss, the reputational damage, the damage to the vans as well it can far exceed the value of the stolen tools,” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And according to our research alongside On the Tools<\/a>, 94 per cent of stolen tools never being recovered so few tradespeople are getting a fair resolution.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If stealing tools is upgraded to a category two crime, people that are convicted of tool theft would serve longer and more severe sentences.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You can show your support<\/a> for the bill as it passes through parliament.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Increased policing on stolen tool sellers <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A tool is stolen every 12 minutes<\/a> in the UK and it\u2019s impossible for the police to prevent every crime. But if the people selling the stolen goods are more likely to be caught, it could reduce the number of tool thefts in the long term.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why the police have a renewed focus on catching the people selling  stolen tools. In the post below from the Met Police, you can see them recover over \u00a350,000 of stolen tools from a car boot sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by Metropolitan Police (@metpolice_uk)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>