Officers are advising van owners to be vigilant and keep their tools safe following a spike in theft reports.

Builders and those who use vans for work are being warned to avoid keeping valuable tools in their vehicles following reports of thefts across Ashford, Folkestone and Hythe last week.

It comes after police received a number of reports of thefts from vehicles between Tuesday, September 24 and Friday, September 27.

A van parked in Sutherland Close, Hythe, had the door forced open and tools stolen between 5.30pm and 11.40pm last Tuesday (crime reference number 46/184196/19).

A number of hand and power tools were taken from a silver Vauxhall Vivaro panel van parked in John Amoore Lane, Ashford between the hours of 10pm on Thursday and 6.45am the following morning (46/186106/19).

A Ford transit van parked in Bad Munstereifel Road, Kingsnorth, was broken into between 11am and 11.50am last Friday. Tools including a steel saw cutter, a cable avoidance tool, and a generator were stolen (46/186520/19).

Two Paslode nail guns, Makita tools, a SDS drill, a chop saw and laser level were reported stolen from a van parked in Greenfields, Sellindge between 5pm on Thursday and 7am the following day (46/186743/19).

Inspector Jason Atkinson from Ashford Community Safety Unit said: "Our officers are looking into the reports to see if they might be linked and also to identify potential lines of enquiry to follow up.

"For many tradespeople, their vans and contents are their livelihood and not only is it costly to replace but can also leave them unable to meet the demands of their work while they replace the stolen tools.

"We urge people to be vigilant, and report it to police on 101 (or 999 if ongoing) if you see anyone acting suspiciously around vehicles.

"Always ensure your vehicles are locked and secure."

If you have to leave tools or equipment in vehicles:

• Lock your van in a garage or secure location
• Alarm your vehicle
• Park in a well-lit area
• Install CCTV or consider the coverage where possible
• Ensure you know what is in the vehicle, record serial numbers and photograph contents

Anyone with information about the thefts already reported, is asked to call police on 01843 222289 quoting the relevant reference number.

Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111 or using the anonymous online form.

To get the latest updates on ongoing cases, police appeals and criminals put behind bars, click here.

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