Avon and Somerset recorded 81 tool thefts last year — one of the lowest totals among police forces that supplied figures for a national investigation. At the other end of the table, the Metropolitan Police recorded 10,718.

The figures were obtained by insurer Aviva through Freedom of Information requests and shared with the BBC Shared Data Unit. They reveal at least 26,164 recorded tool thefts across the UK during 2025, equivalent to roughly one every 20 minutes.

Only four forces supplying figures recorded fewer offences than Avon and Somerset. City of London Police and North Wales Police each recorded seven, followed by Suffolk with 59 and Derbyshire with 62.

After the Metropolitan Police, the highest totals were recorded by West Yorkshire Police, with 2,194, and Police Scotland, with 3,252 across its national force area. These are raw totals: differences in population, geography and recording practices mean they cannot be used as a direct ranking of the risk of theft.

The Avon and Somerset total covers the whole force area, including Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and Somerset. No separate figures for Wells, Shepton Mallet, Glastonbury or Street were provided in the dataset.

Locally, February and April had the highest monthly totals, with 13 offences each. Nine were recorded in June, while August had the fewest, with one.

The relatively low recorded total does not establish the full scale of tool theft locally. Thirty forces supplied figures for the research, while another 15 were unable to provide the requested information, and the investigation highlighted differences in how offences are recorded.

For tradespeople affected, the loss can extend well beyond the contents of a toolbox. Stolen equipment can leave them unable to complete jobs, costing them earnings while replacements are found.

The average tool-theft insurance claim in 2025 was £4,206, according to Direct Line for Business. That is a national insurance figure, rather than an estimate of losses in Avon and Somerset.

Gareth Powley, a senior technical underwriter at Aviva and Direct Line for Business, said: "Every time tools are stolen, it's a disruption to their business. It's not just about the tools."

Sergeant Dave Catlow, who is overseeing work to tackle tool theft at the National Business Crime Centre, said organised criminal groups were responsible for a large proportion of offences nationally. Stolen equipment was being moved around the UK for resale and sent abroad.

He said: "It's a huge, huge problem. We are seeing organised criminal groups working the tool theft routes and seeing displacement as well when [police] activity is going on."

Labour MP Amanda Martin, who has campaigned for stronger action against tool theft, wants tighter controls on the second-hand market. She said the consequences for victims' livelihoods must be recognised alongside the cost of replacing equipment.

She said: "And the value of the theft isn't just about the cost of replacing the tools, is it? You're losing business."

The Home Office said it was working with police to tackle and prevent tool theft, alongside work with industry to address the sale of stolen goods. Police have also been targeting the resale of stolen tools at car boot sales.

The dataset contains no earlier-year comparison for Avon and Somerset. It therefore does not show whether recorded tool theft is increasing or falling locally.

Reporting based on research shared by the BBC Shared Data Unit through the Local News Partnership.

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