7
Feb
2014
By Calvin at 14:34 GMT, 12 years ago
Police in Herefordshire are appealing for witness to come forward to a burglary or suspicious behaviour in Pontshill near Ross-on-Wye.
Sometime between 4.45pm on Wednesday 5 February and 8am on Thursday 6 February burglars broke into a house in the village, using an implement/tool to force the door.
They stole a De Walt wet saw valued at £1,000, a Rubi tile splitter valued at £200, a De Walt hand drill and charger valued at £200 and a mixing drill valued at £130.
PC Andrea Morris from the Ross/Ledbury Response Team said: “We would like to hear from anyone who saw any suspicious behaviour or unfamiliar vehicles in Pontshill on Wednesday night or in the early hours of Thursday morning.
“We believe at least two people were involved as the wet saw would be heavy and bulky to move. They would also need a suitable vehicle like a van, a pickup or a vehicle towing a trailer.”
Anyone with information that could help track down those responsible for the burglary and trace the items stolen is asked to call PC Morris on the non emergency number 101 quoting incident number 111s 060214.
Alternatively information can be passed on anonymously by calling the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or completing its online form by logging on to Crimestoppers
News source West Mercia Police: http://www.westmercia.police.uk/news/news-articles/tools-stolen-in-herefordshire-burglary.html
TCW Comment: Stealing anything from anyone is pretty low life stuff, but stealing a person’s power tools is, in my view, lower still since this selfish and criminal act could be removing the means by which the victim earns their living. As can be seen from the list of tools that were stolen, none of them are cheap to replace and could represent two or three weeks hard graft to earn the money to replace them. And if they’re required for work, it’s no good waiting for weeks for an insurance claim; they have to replaced immediately.
If this victim is anything like me I make a point of permanently marking my power tools by engraving them to the point that removing the marks is next to impossible, or at least will take a great deal of effort. This means the effort might put the thief off stealing them or the thief may not be able to sell them on. (He’ll usually get no more than 10% of the value)
So, if you rely on a range of power tools for your job, try not to leave them overnight in a vehicle and make sure they’re locked away in a very secure outbuilding when not in use. And mark them. There’s stacks of information on this website for you to follow – see the links below:
There’s an old saying in my family, which is ‘Look after you tools!’
You know it makes sense!
Outbuilding security: http://thecrimepreventionwebsite.com/preventing-theft-from-the-garden/606/security-for-garden-outbuildings/
Garage security: http://thecrimepreventionwebsite.com/preventing-crime-in-the-garden-outbuildings-and-garage/493/security-for-the-garage/
Property marking: http://thecrimepreventionwebsite.com/security-inside-the-home/484/property-identification--marking-tagging-and-tracking/
