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36 Summer 2021 W hile the UK construction sector has been one of lesser impacted industries in the pandemic, it is being hit by another ever-growing malaise – theft of plant machinery is at an all-time high according to new research. Since shocking statistics revealed that plant and tool theft increased by 50% in the rst few months of the pandemic shutdown periods, according to leading GPS vehicle tracker installer Trackershop construction businesses are continuing to face increased levels of plant and machinery theft; and more businesses are now taking matters into their own hands to stop the thieves in their tracks by installing state-of-the-art tracker technology. Faced with shocking gures which show that on average less than 10% of plant machinery is ever recovered (if not tted with a tracker), and with statistics showing thefts are on the rise, Trackersho p-uk.com has seen enquiries rise by 80%over the past 12months. In a further survey by the company, more than three-quarters of Trackershop customers said that they think machinery theft is more of a threat now than before the pandemic, and two out of three say the problem is showing no sign of decline. According to Trackershop owner Shaun Carse, this is forcing plant owners into safeguarding their equipment with sophisticated trackers rather than relying on law enforcement or other previously used security measures, which are not proving e ective. He said: “Plant machinery theft has always been a huge issue for the construction industry, with some reports claiming more than £400 million worth of machinery is stolen in the UK every year. But the events of the past 12 months have created a perfect storm - giving organised crime gangs more opportunity and impetus to target construction sites, which can often leave themselves vulnerable compare to, say, sports vehicles of the same value. SMEs most at risk according to industry experts. PLANT AND MACHINERY THEFT CONTINUES TO INCREASE – A YEAR AFTER BIGGEST SPIKE EVER “CCTV later showed that the thieves had entered our site within five minutes of us locking up and leaving- they were clearly waiting in anticipation of us vacating.”