New measures to focus on haulage theft gangs
Measures are being explored to fight back against criminal gangs who are targeting haulage firms, an MP has said.
Rachel Taylor, who represents North Warwickshire and Bedworth for Labour, said a new "flagging system" was being trialled to identify how widespread the issue was.
It came after a BBC investigation[1] found gangs were buying up haulage firms and posing as truckers to steal lorryloads of goods - one of many methods used to target freight transport. Advertisement Advertisement
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"There isn't a single haulage firm I've spoken to who haven't been impacted by this crime," Taylor said.
"Almost every single driver has had something happen to them, it makes them fearful to go to work and it's costing those small companies massive amounts."
She said it was a "massive" problem in her constituency and it was pushing some companies out of business.
The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has called on the chancellor to allocate GBP6m to all police units tackling freight crime.
MP Rachel Taylor said freight theft was a "massive" problem [BBC]
Taylor confirmed she had met ministers this week and said the government was "taking this seriously". Advertisement
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"We're now having a trial of a flagging system so that we can flag what is freight crime and what is other theft from vehicles," she added.
She said differentiating between the two would help police and the government to assess how widespread the issue was so they could co-ordinate a national response.
Abi Brown, a Conservative member of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said logistics was "such an important sector for our region".
She said a lot of lorries were often laid up at the side of the road, making them vulnerable to thieves.
Jack Rose, Green Party councillor on Staffordshire County Council, said measures needed to be introduced to make sure hotspots could be identified and also called for improvements to facilities for lorry drivers.
'Resources stretched'
The BBC previously spoke to Alison - not her real name - who runs a Midlands transport firm that was tricked by fake subcontractors.
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She said it was "incredible" that "a gang can go in and target a company so blatantly".
Footage obtained by the BBC also showed criminals breaking into lorries waiting in traffic, cutting locks and entering depots, before stealing trailers packed with goods.
The cost of freight theft to companies in the UK rose to GBP111m in 2024 from GBP68m in 2023.
Ashton Cull, RHA spokesman said the GBP111m cost to companies covered the value of goods lost - but other costs included truck repairs, increased insurance, damage to shops and damage to the supply chain.
He said: "We estimate that the genuine cost, could be seven times higher than that." Advertisement Advertisement
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Drivers were not often confronted by criminals, he said, but described it as still a "major invasion".
"It doesn't feel good when you know that your load has been affected and you've got a gang of people operating at the back of your vehicle," Mr Cull continued.
"Not a lot of people recognise that freight crime is organised crime.
"So, it's really important on a wider societal scale that we tackle this, because the proceeds from freight crime, the goods that they sell, end up feeding all the other organised crime."
'Support our industry'
RHA managing director Richard Smith also called for the government to go further. Advertisement
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He said: "Without a dedicated freight crime reporting code in place - something the RHA has long campaigned for, we cannot accurately reflect the true national scale of this growing problem."
He said lorry drivers and hauliers were essential to our economy and daily lives.
"We're again calling on decision-makers to support our industry and the police with the tools needed to tackle this organised crime nationally", he said.
Deputy Chief Constable Jayne Meir, of the National Police Chiefs' Council, previously said police resources had been "stretched" and forces had not been able to direct the resources to tackle those crimes.
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She said additional funding had been allocated for Operation Opal - a police initiative tackling serious organised acquisitive crime.
"What's most important is that we start to tackle the organised element of this and actually tackle it at a higher level," she added.
Politics Midlands is on BBC One in the region from 10:00 BST on Sunday, and available afterwards on BBC iPlayer[2]
Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. [3][4][5]
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References
- ^ a BBC investigation (www.bbc.co.uk)
- ^ Politics Midlands (www.bbc.co.uk)
- ^ BBC Sounds (www.bbc.co.uk)
- ^ Facebook (www.facebook.com)
- ^ Instagram (www.instagram.com)