Met Police crackdown on tool theft, as force recovers half a million worth of tools at car boot sale

9 May 2025, 08:25 | Updated: 9 May 2025, 11:20

By Henry Riley

@HenryRiley1

Inspector Mark Connolly, who led the operation, told LBC 'we are listening', amid what campaigners have described as an epidemic of tools being stolen.

Expensive equipment and tools used by tradespeople worth over £300 are being sold for as little as £10-£15 at car boot sales.

A recent crackdown by the Metropolitan Police in Havering led to officers making six arrests and recovering over 1,500 suspected stolen tools.

Just last month figures reported by construction specialists Monster Mesh revealed that as much as £94 million worth of tools have been stolen from tradespeople in the UK over the past year. In the capital more than £78 million was stolen.

LBC has spoken exclusively with the man behind the Met’s successful recent operation in East London.

Inspector Mark Connelly revealed that the estimated value of the tools they recovered at a recent car boot sale totalled nearly half a million pounds.

Read More: Three Merseyside police officers commended for bravery for response to Southport attack

Read More: Victim tells of horror as 'dangerous' runner feared to be 'body slamming people' into London canal

“If a vendor there has 150 tools and is offering a £200-£300 piece of equipment for just £10-15, It’s quite obvious to us. A tradesperson would not sell their tools, and they wouldn’t be selling it for that price”, he told LBC.

The senior officer - who is one of those tasked with tackling the crime - promised it was an "absolute priority" for the Met Police.

Talking tough on offenders, Inspector Connelly told LBC, “theft of tools but also any theft is an absolute priority for us. It has a huge impact on the hardworking individuals, the traders".

"We are listening to members of the public. We as the police, we have to take action, we have to listen to them, we have to take steps to bring these people before the courts. This is a serious priority and I will take action."

The scourge of tool theft has led to it being described as an "epidemic" by campaigners, including Gary Ross of Blip Insurance.

In February a demonstration was held in Central London to appeal to the government to take the issue seriously.

Labour MP Amanda Martin, who represents Portsmouth North, has tabled The Theft of Tools of Trade (Sentencing) Bill, to impose harsher sentencing for tool thieves.

If law, the idea would be to add 'theft of tools' to the list of examples considered as causing "significant additional harm" to a victim", as well as better recognising the total financial impact the crime can have, such as loss of work and repairs to a vehicle.