Tool thefts across the county have rocketed by 27% since 2015, latest figures reveal.

Research by an insurance company reveals the number of value of thefts are on the rise - and point to an increase in the number of tools being swiped from vans with crooks using increasingly sophisticated methods.

Across Kent, tool thefts hit 826 in 2017 with Tunbridge Wells named as one of the targeted towns in the country.

In addition, the average claim for each theft had risen by 15% from 2016 to 2017. Some 5% were above £5,000 with some as high as £11,000. The average claim is now £1,692.

Insurance provider Simply Business, which conducted the research, said tool theft has been on the rise since 2012 and pointed to an increase in van break-ins and the rise in using electronic key fobs.

These are used to open vans, without the need to force entry, allowing higher value tools to be stolen and leaving insurance claims harder to prove.

This method involves two criminals – one who intercepts the signal from the key fob, and another who uses the replicated key fob signal to open the car.

The 10 tool theft hot spots, according to crimes reported by its customers, are:

1. London

2. Sheffield

3.Birmingham

4. Leicester

5. Chelmsford

6. Tunbridge Wells

7. Bristol

8. Nottingham

9. Northampton

10. Reading

Fiona McSwein, chief customer officer at Simply Business, said: “Tool theft is undoubtedly the number one issue affecting hard-working tradespeople across the country. Over the last year, we're handling three tool theft claims every single day. Stolen tools can be devastating – beyond the financial loss, it takes away people’s ability to carry out their work and negatively impacts customer relationships too.

“Now we are witnessing new and more advanced ways for thieves to target high-value items, which is a worrying trend. Electronic key fobs can be easily purchased for next to nothing online, leaving thousands of tradespeople vulnerable to theft.

“We hope that by continuing to spotlight this issue tradespeople can equip themselves with the necessary knowledge to prevent or limit damages from this fast-growing problem."