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Freedom of information requests to police forces revealed that there were 28,681 cases of tool theft from vehicles in 2019, equating to 78 incidences every day of the week.
Of the 28,681 incidences of tool theft, 30% were reported in London, 27% were in the northwest.
Taking into account population density, the northwest had the most accounts of tool theft per resident, with Lancashire Constabulary reporting 4,440 thefts in one year.
| Region | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| London | 8633 | 30 |
| Northwest | 7627 | 27 |
| Yorkshire & Humber | 3333 | 12 |
| West Midlands | 2499 | 9 |
| East of England | 2303 | 8 |
| Southeast | 1426 | 5 |
| East Midlands | 1249 | 4 |
| Southwest | 902 | 3 |
| Northern Ireland | 221 | <1 |
| Northeast | 176 | <1 |
| Wales | 112 | <1 |
| England, Wales and NI total | 28681 | 100% |
[Editor’s note: It is assumed here that breaking into a van and stealing several tools is always counted as a single incident, rather than counting the theft of 10 tools as 10 cases]
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