Construction plant theft still a major issue

The construction industry has been urged to take better action against plant theft.

NFU Mutual estimates that approximately £1.5 million of construction and agricultural machinery is stolen every week in the UK.

"The loss of equipment is a major issue for the construction industry. Not only is it a huge inconvenience, but resulting project delays and the cost of replacing items means companies face significant financial losses" said Stephen Doran, Managing Director for Tracker.

"We will be at CITS to help raise awareness of the steps plant owners can take to protect their assets and take the lead on crime prevention."

With rural crime changing from a highly opportunist activity to organised crime, and rapidly on the rise, businesses are being warned to protect their assets.

Kent in the South East and Manchester in the North West have consistently recorded the highest levels of plant theft.

However, these are not the only theft hot spots. Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, also counties within the South East, have recorded high levels of theft activity over the five years, along with Essex in East Anglia.