Two men have been arrested following the theft of £2,000 worth of tools from a van in Royal Wootton Bassett earlier today.
The incident was reported at 11:45am when the van’s owner discovered that several hand tools had been taken from his works vehicle, which was parked on Washbourne Road. The owner provided police with a description of the suspects and the vehicle they were seen leaving in – a black Mazda 3.
Approximately 25 minutes later, roads policing officers intercepted a car matching the description on Hay Lane, Swindon. One suspect attempted to flee the scene on foot but was detained shortly thereafter. The second individual remained with the vehicle.
The arrested men, aged 27 and 61, are currently in police custody on suspicion of theft from a motor vehicle. Additionally, the 27-year-old suspect faces further charges of driving without a valid licence and driving without insurance.
A considerable quantity of tools, believed to have been stolen, was recovered from the Mazda.
Roads Policing Officer Ben Greening highlighted the serious impact of such crimes: “Theft of tools can have a devastating financial impact on tradespeople, affecting their ability to work and earn a living, beyond the obvious cost of replacement.
“Our team remains committed to responding robustly to such incidents, and we’ve bolstered resources to ensure rapid response capabilities. We’re appealing to anyone who may have been in the Washbourne Road area around 11:45am today or who has relevant doorbell or dashcam footage to come forward.”
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the police by calling 101, quoting log number 54240131997.
