Truck thefts hit West Midlands

Truck operators and dealers in the West Midlands are being warned to be extra vigilant after a spate of thefts of vehicles in the area.

Motor Transport

Truck operators and dealers in the West Midlands are being warned to be extra vigilant after a spate of thefts of vehicles in the area.

Scania dealer Chris Kelly has suffered thefts from outside his depots in Tamworth, Coventry and Rugby in the past six weeks, and he is not alone.

In the most recent incident a skip-loader belonging to Mil-Ver Metal Co was taken. It was recovered two days later because it had a tracking device fitted.

“There appears to be a gang roaming around this area targeting Scanias to steal,” says Kelly, who is critical of West Midlands Police in this week’s Dealer News (see page 48).

“Trying to find out what’s happening [from the police] is a nightmare,” he says. “I’ve spent the morning ringing the police station and all I get is an answerphone.”

Other dealers also report break-ins and the theft of several items, most notably alloy wheels.

“There’s a crime epidemic going on,” Kelly warns. “It’s time someone did something about it.”