Plumber forced to retire after tenth van break-in

The plumber said it genuinely upset him seeing the van being taken away

A plumber has been forced to retire after his van was broken into for a tenth time.

David Humphreys, who lives in the Hertfordshire village of Flamstead, said his van had been broken into 10 times in his 40-year career, with the regularity escalating in the last 20 years.

Last month more than £5,000 worth of damage was caused by the most recent break-in, which has seen the vehicle written off.

Hertfordshire Police said the crime was still under investigation with inquiries continuing.

The van was parked in a well lit area with CCTV cameras focused on it.

A sticker on the door explicitly stated "there's no tools left in overnight".

The plumber found that implementing security measures was counterproductive because they led to greater damage.

He told Andy Collins on BBC Three Counties Radio: "I just don't want to commit to buying another van at this late stage in my career when I probably would only plumb for another three or four years.

"I wouldn't have chosen to give up. Watching the van going away on the low loader the other day genuinely upset me."

Other local plumbers have also told Mr Humphreys they have seen an increase in the crime.

Hertfordshire Police told the BBC: "We aim to attend all reports of thefts from vans, and the response time will depend on when the report is made.

"The vast majority of these thefts are reported after the crime has taken place as offenders usually commit these offences at night when victims are unaware.

"If the offender(s) are still at the scene, this will always be treated as an immediate response.

"In the case of this specific incident, the offender(s) had left the scene prior to us being made aware of crime."

Conservative Hertfordshire police and crime commissioner Jonathan Ash-Edwards added that this type of crime was a "key priority".

"In the last year alone, theft from vehicles has fallen by 13%. But there is more to be done and I'm supporting the constabulary in bring those numbers down even further," he said.