Van breaks close to the A37

We have seen an increase in recent weeks in tools being stolen from vans across the Bath and North East Somerset area.

The incidents have taken place in the evening or overnight with entry being forced to parked vehicles, particularly in areas close to the A37.

We appreciate the impact these thefts have on the livelihoods of tradespeople and officers have been making extra high-visibility patrols to identify the person or people responsible.

While our enquiries are still ongoing, we wanted to share the following crime prevention advice:

• Remove all valuable items, including tools, from vehicles and store them securely.
• Put signs on vehicles that say no valuable items are stored in it overnight.
• If you have to leave items in a vehicle overnight, mark them so that they can be easily returned.

If you hear a vehicle alarm sounding and see someone tampering with a vehicle, then call 999 straight away.

More advice is available here: Securing commercial vehicles | Avon and Somerset Police