Lorry drivers 'playing Russian roulette' amid thefts

William Gilder said he offered a secure spot for lorry drivers to stop near the M5

The owner of a truck stop has said lorry drivers are "playing Russian roulette" by parking in lay-bys due to crime becoming "absolutely rife".

William Gilder, who runs a truck stop near the M5 at Tewkesbury, opens the 10-acre site to truckers from over the UK and Europe and said it was secured through CCTV, floodlights and patrols.

According to the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service, there were more than 5,000 incidents of lorry crime in 2023, equalling about 14 incidents a day.

Lorry driver Ryan, from Somerset, said lack of access to safe parking was "killing the industry".

'Drivers feel vulnerable'

Mr Gilder said drivers often struggled with their mental health as they spent hours on the road with no-one to speak to

Lorry drivers have called for more secure truck stops across the UK.

Last month, the Road Haulage Association (RHA) called on the new government to create a specific freight crime offence and other measures to to help tackle thefts.

Mr Gilder's yard is patrolled by night-time security guards and has direct links with police, he said.

"People do feel safe when they park up here," he said.

"Lorries are getting robbed parking in lay-bys and also, in the 21st century, it's not right for drivers to be parking in lay-bys with no facilities.

"Most of the drivers who come here, they really like this truck stop because I've put a lot of effort into making the facilities driver-friendly," Mr Gilder said.

"When you're parking in a lay-by and even at some of the major services, unfortunately, drivers feel vulnerable."

He said "criminal gangs" armed with weapons were prepared to threaten drivers.

"You're not going to challenge three or four people who are stealing your load," he said.

'Sitting ducks'

Mr Gilder drivers' well-being was affected as they could be "sitting ducks" to criminals.

Ryan had driven from Somerset to Lincoln and then Birmingham before heading to the truck stop.

"Our company won't let us stay in any services because of crime, you're not allowed to stay in lay-bys either because of theft overnight," he said.

"So it's got to be somewhere safe, and trying to find that when you're running out of hours, it's next to none and then you get penalised."

Ryan said he gets "that panicky feeling" if there is nowhere to park, adding crime against drivers was "getting worse".

"Especially with the cost of living crisis and everything now, everyone's pinching anything," he said.

"It really is killing the industry, with no safe parking."