Tool theft continues to cripple British tradespeople, draining vital time, money and resources, according to Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ annual tool theft survey.

The latest edition of the research reveals that one in five (20%) UK van drivers experienced tool theft in 2025; a small reduction versus the figure of 28% for 2024. Overall, UK businesses were hit by a £1.7bn bill in stolen equipment in 2025.

The study also shows businesses are left facing soaring replacement bills. In 2025, the value of the tools stolen stood at £1,710 on average– before factoring in lost work and vehicle repairs. In many cases, tools are highly specialist and can be expensive or have long lead times to replace. In fact, 13% of survey respondents said the value of tools stolen was in excess of £3,000, putting significant pressure on businesses and van drivers that are already feeling the strain.

Tradespeople are also being hit by severe downtime from tool theft. Overall, 92% of British tradespeople lose at least a day of work every time they are the victims of tool theft from their van.

For a quarter (26%), this extended into a full week of lost work, meaning drivers are out of pocket and essential work is delayed.

Despite intense industry backing, the Theft of Tools of Trade Bill has still not been passed into law. However, the industry is fighting back with new onboard security innovations, such as Volkswagen’s intelligent Safelock Locking and Starting System, which is featured on the Transporter and prevents the doors being unlocked once a window is smashed.

John Ricardo-Neto, head of product planning at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said: “Tradespeople deliver essential work all around the country – from builders, plumbers, and electricians, all the way through to delivery drivers. Tool theft continues to threaten these key workers, and the resulting cost, downtime, and worry is an issue for everybody using any of those services.”