Tool Theft Awareness in Parliament

Troy Stevens, CEO of Rhino Trade Insurance, had the pleasure to attend a discussion in the House of Commons last Wednesday lead by Amanda Martin MP who has been instrumental in bringing light to the issue of tool theft.

The event, hosted by Amanda Martin MP, as well as representatives from Checkatrade and On The Tools, was an opportunity for industry leaders and authorities in the trade sector to openly discuss the issue of tool theft. Spokespeople within the trade shared worrying statistics, with an emphatic speech from Emma Grant of Checkatrade, as well an emotive account of their first-hand experience of tool theft from S.B. Multitrade, highlighting the important issue that UK tradespeople face every day.

Tool theft is something that seems to be getting worse in the UK. Our own statistics following a recent survey of Rhino Trade Insurance policyholders proved that the threat of having their tools stolen is the number one concern for anyone working in the trades.

Troy Stevens said of the event, “It was fantastic to see that the fight against tool theft has made its way into the halls and chambers of Parliament. We (at Rhino) speak with tradespeople every single day and hear horror stories first hand of the personal impact of this crisis. The work that Amanda Martin MP is doing is greatly appreciated by those who are affected by tool theft and hats off to everyone who has helped in bringing the conversation to the forefront of the Government.”

The event is a milestone in raising awareness and comes hot off the heels of the Trades United demonstration outside Parliament earlier in the month lead by gas engineer Shoaib Awan, someone who has single handedly brought tool theft awareness into the mainstream conversation.

The threat of having tools stolen from a vehicle is not something that hard working tradespeople should have to consider. The amount of money spent by UK tradespeople in prevention is significant yet the number of recorded cases of tool theft is still on the rise. We offer Tools in Transit Insurance here at Rhino, which should be a consideration of any UK tradesperson. Although we understand that having insurance in place won’t prevent tool theft, at least policyholders can be safe in the knowledge that if the worst happens, any financial loss is mitigated.