Police issue advice to prevent tools being half-inched in the Falkirk area

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “When parking your van, think carefully about where you are stopping. Parking with the rear or side doors against a wall or sturdy

railings will help to ensure that they can't be prised open.

" If you are parking your vehicle on the street overnight, consider parking it under or near a street light. Opportunistic criminals don't want to be seen or caught. Where possible, park in well-lit areas with foot traffic and, ideally, with CCTV cameras or where you can see your vehicle from where you're working.

"Fit a secure van vault in the rear for expensive tools – vaults come in a range of sizes and can be bolted to the cargo floor. Security marking your tools using an Secured by Design (SBD) marking/etching kit is an effective, visible deterrent and an established method of reducing theft.

"Tools and other property can be registered on an SBD approved Tool and Asset databases. These systems can assist us to trace stolen property back to the owner and, importantly, prove it was stolen.”

Installing CCTV can be both a deterrent – helping protect a vehicle and a home – as well as help to identify any people who do steal items.

Of course the other way to keep tools safe is to remove them from the vehicle they are stored in and keep them in a home or other secure location overnight.