Talon showed its support for the Stop Tool Theft Protest, which took place at London’s Parliament Square on Monday 3 February.
According to industry reports, 44,514 tool thefts were reported in 2023, one every 12 minutes, and it’s costing tradespeople an estimated £82m in lost jobs. The peaceful demonstration, organised by Shoaib Awan of Trades United, saw electricians, plumbers, carpenters and other trades call on the government to introduce harsher penalties for tool theft.
Shoaib, a gas engineer who has had £8,500 worth of tools stolen from his van, said: “These are our offices. We work from them. It’s no longer acceptable. They need to understand the implications – mentally and financially – it has on us. The vans get broken into and we’re out of work because we’ve lost our tools. We’ve lost our vans.”
Mike Morris, Talon’s marketing manager, added: “Tool theft doesn’t just hit wallets – it destroys livelihoods. Obviously it takes a huge financial toll, but it takes a huge mental toll too. Construction workers are already four times more likely to die by suicide than the national average and the stress of losing vital equipment only adds to the pressure. What is really positive is that despite the traffic jams and inconvenience the protest caused, local people and even tourists were incredibly supportive of the campaign.”
Labour MP Amanda Martin has tabled the Theft of Tools of Trade (Sentencing) Bill, which proposes recognising tool theft as causing “significant additional harm” to victims. A statement said that campaigners hope this will finally see stronger sentencing guidelines introduced as the message from the protest is clear, “tradespeople need protection and they need it now”.