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Truck thieves on the rampage
Page 14
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Truck crime in the West Midlands is spiralling — one victim fears it's only a
matter of time before someone is killed. David Harris reports.
THE GANG BEHIND an epidemic of truck thefts in the West Midlands have become so brazen that they are now taking vehicles under the noses of drivers.
Recent crime victims include Gordon Gilder Transport of Cheltenham, which had a truck stolen from inside a secure area while the driver was standing beside his vehicle handing in documents. Driver David Gough tried to block the Scania Topline as it drove off but was forced to leap out of the way before it ran him down.
Another driver, working for the cider firm Bulmers, also tried to stop the thief, but he too was forced to throw himself out of the way.
Gordon Gilder says: "It was very brave of them, but you can't stand in the way of a truck. If things carry on like this it is only a matter of time before someone is killed.This is becoming very common in the Midlands — the police told me that mine was the third truck to be stolen that morning, which is very worrying."
Gilder's vehicle, which was carrying beer, was taken from the T&S Stores RDC at Brownhills in Bloxwich. Other recent victims include: • Bradford-based Matthew Kitson, which had a truck loaded with tumble dryers taken from an Argos depot in Tipton (CM 1 April); • E Pawson Transport, which lost an £80,000 load of Cadbury Roses chocolates (CM 25 March); • PD Logistics, which had a trailer with £21,000 of alcopops stolen from its West Bromwich warehouse last month; • Downton Haulage of Gloucester, which had two trucks taken from outside transport cafes;
• Cheshire-based F Swain & Son, which had two trucks taken last week.
In the last theft, also within a secure warehouse area, a yellowjacketed man told the driver that his vehicle was being unloaded, but as he went round the back to check the truck was driven off. Gilder says police have told
him that they suspect a specialist gang is behind the thefts but he adds: "I wouldn't say the police are unhelpful but their attitude does appear to be 'nobody was killed, you have insurance, so it's not a priority'.
Meanwhile some rotten, filthy layabout is living the high-life off the backs of hard-working hauliers."
The thefts certainly seem to be defeating West Midlands police, despite the force's continuing efforts to tackle the truck theft epidemic.
A police statement confirms the `Coppergold' campaign is continuing, adding that the West Midlands is particularly vulnerable "mainly due to the close proximity of a major motorway network". Few of the victims hold out much hope of the thieves being caught.
• See next week for ideas and equipment to boost your security.
Staffordshire police have urged operators to step up security following a spate of vehicle thefts in the county.
The latest incident happened last Thursday (1 April) at a factory in Hawkins lane, Burton on Trent, when a thief sneaked into commercial premises and stole a set of keys before driving off with a Transit van containing £8,000 worth of tools.
A police spokesman says: "There have been a number of opportunist thieves hanging around local industrial estates waiting for drivers.When they have gone into premises to check delivery details they have come out to find their truck has been stolen."