Van drilling: Essex firm says thieves breaking locks every day

Only 1.2% of theft from vehicle offences are solved, according to the latest Essex Police statistics

A security firm has said it was being contacted every day over reports of thieves drilling holes in van doors.

Paul Seager, one of the directors at Secure Vehicle Systems based in Essex, said opportunistic thieves were breaking locks in order to steal tools inside, sometimes with drivers still sitting in the front.

He recommended owners fit deadlocks or Armaplate locks.

"It is a big old challenge at the moment," he said.

"Every day of the week we are getting calls coming in of vehicles being broken into where they poke a hole in and force the lock open."

'Constant worry'

Mr Seager, whose firm is based at Bulphan in Thurrock, said one of its customers was eating his lunch in the front of his van while someone drilled a hole in his rear door.

Paul Corrigan, of Solitaire Plumbing and Heating Limited in Maldon, said one of its 13 vehicles was targeted by someone with a drill in Kelvedon earlier in the month.

"It is a constant worry that our vehicles are going to be broken into," he said.

Paul Corrigan said one of his colleagues spooked a thief who was targeting one of the firm's vans

Essex Police recommended that drivers park in well-lit areas to minimise the chances of being targeted.

The force received 5,697 reports of theft from vehicles in the year to April 2022, which was a 5.4% increase on the previous 12 months.

The proportion of offences which were solved, however, declined, from 74 in 2020-21, to 66 in 2021-22 - a solved rate of 1.2%.