Lorry theft cost industry £52m last year
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A 59% HIKE IN lorry thefts last year contributed to freight crime costing the haulage industry £52.2m, according to TruckPol’s latest statistics.
No amount was calculated for 2009, but TruckPol head DC Sue Coutts says the 2010 value should be viewed as a minimum guide only. Some 2,552 HGVs were reported stolen in 2010, compared to 1,604 in 2009. Of these, Iveco was the most targeted model, with 413 stolen, while 247 Scania trucks and 246 DAF vehicles were stolen. West Yorkshire Police recorded the most number of truck thefts (309), while Essex Police saw the second highest number, at 173.
The sharp rise in thefts is blamed on a higher demand for lorries and mechanical parts in developing countries. Also, opportunists are stealing vehicles hoping to ind expensive cargo inside trailers, says TruckPol.
Despite the rise in truck thefts, TruckPol recorded 2,567 freight crimes (excluding thefts of trucks) in 2010; a 20.5% drop on the 3,288 reported in 2009. However, Coutts says the 2009 igures included diesel thefts under 1,000 litres, whereas fuel thefts were no longer recorded in 2010.
● See CM 17 February for a full investigation into truck crime patterns.