Rising numbers of tradespeople are suffering from tool thefts, with statistics showing a tool is stolen every 45 mins across the UK.

These crimes are reportedly costing individuals more than £16 million nationwide each year in replacement costs.

Building supplies retailer, Toolstation, decided to uncover the nation's tool theft hotspots and it doesn’t make happy reading for people in Avon and Somerset.

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Chard & Ilminster News: Mapped: The top 10 areas for tool theft. Picture: ToolstationMapped: The top 10 areas for tool theft. Picture: Toolstation

UK tool theft hotspots

By submitting a freedom of information request to police constabularies, Toolstation revealed the hotspots for tool theft across the UK.

Northumbria experienced the most tool thefts from the data gathered, with 1,398 thefts in 2020, estimating a cost of £2,082,954

Avon and Somerset make it onto the list coming in at number nine with 587 thefts totalling an estimated £874,602 cost.

Top 10 UK regions for tool theft

These are the 10 police service regions with the most tool thefts using data from 2020. The list below includes the number of thefts and the estimated cost of those crimes.

  • Northumbria: 1,398 thefts, costing £2,082,954
  • Kent: 1,138 thefts, costing £1,695,567
  • Lancashire: 1,108 thefts, costing £1,650,868
  • Hertfordshire: 1,048 thefts, costing £1,561,471
  • Northern Ireland: 1,043 thefts, costing £1,554,021
  • Humberside: 755 thefts, costing £1,124,915
  • Cambridgeshire: 685 thefts, costing £1,020,618
  • Bedfordshire: 647 thefts, costing £964,000
  • Avon and Somerset: 587 thefts, costing £874,602
  • Dorset: 417 thefts, costing £621,310

According to government data, tool thefts account for one in ten vehicle break-ins in the UK.

For more information and expert tips on how to better prevent tool theft, visit the Toolstation website.