A garage in Northampton has lost tools valued at around £30,000 in a burglary and two vehicles that were on the premises overnight.
Adrian’s Autos in the town centre has recovered the stolen vehicles under its own steam, but the business is still suffering from the loss of a tool box which contained equipment valued at £20,000 and an additional £10,000 worth of kit.
Keeping your motor trade insurance up to date is an essential part of your business. Make sure you are properly covered for any equipment that remains on the premises overnight, and also for any damage that could be caused during a break-in.
The burglars that broke into Adrian’s Autos used an angle grinder that was kept in the workshop to create enough space to get the two cars – a VW Passat and a Vivavro van – out of the garage.
Garage owner Adrian Lane told the Northampton Chronicle: “It has affected the business in a massive way. We are not able to do any diagnostic work as all those tools were stolen. We have had to cancel quite a bit of work.”
Garage employee Jim Sohal was able to locate the two stolen vehicles himself after receiving tips offs and searching around the town. They have been turned over to the police for forensic tests, but he said that police have not yet been in touch with further information, despite the break-in happening a few days before Christmas.
He added: “We have also subsequently found out there were a couple of break-ins to businesses nearby and, if we had known that, we would have taken more precautions, like leaving the tools in a different place.”
Police said that the case was still under investigation and CCTV footage from the scene had been viewed by detectives trying to trace the burglars.
