My name's mark and I'm a 47yr old self employed carpenter, like many self employed tradesmen I have to purchase my own tools for the trade I have chosen. 

The replacement of these tools usually costs thousands of pounds and in some cases insurance companies have six weeks to settle any claims.    

That's a six week financial burden to a victim of this crime.

Several friends of mine were victims of tool theft from their vans, and I too have been a victim. Luckily my home insurance paid out for the tools I lost. Another carpenter in my village had everything taken from his vehicle for he second time that year. 

Not everyone can empty their vans at night and not everyone has insurance cover.

This type of crime is classed as petty crime but to a tradesmen who has paid for his tools with blood sweat and tears doesn't feel this is a petty crime. Every morning I walk out my house wondering if today is the day that my van has been broken into.

I'm calling for this crime to have more severe punishments as it affects hundreds of hard-working tradesmen, every day I see more victims posting about their plight via Facebook and it's sickening to see. 

A tradesman's tools are his livelihood. There are organised gangs traveling the length of the country helping themselves to thousands of pounds worth of tools by peeling open the doors of hard-working tradesmen's vans and helping themselves to their tools.

Some even purchase specialist keys to decode and open vans without causing damage to the vehicle, mainly fords. These gangs are so organised and know many ways to break into the vans with no sign of entery leaving us unable to claim on our insurance.

the punishment needs to meet the severity of the crime.

The police mostly just give out a crime number which in many occasions are of no use as tools need replacing instantly also our van insurance rises. Insurance companies base premiums on postcodes and crime figures so this crime affects us all. The people suffering are the hard working tradesman who build and maintain the infrastructure of this country.

A ban on insurance increases to victims of van crime should be put in place, and emergency low or interest free government loans should be put in place to help relieve the burden to the innocent victims of this type of crime.

Tradesmen help the economy tick over in the hard times and generate great income in the form of TAX in the good times.This type of crime is now at epidemic proportions and needs addressing by those who we have appointed to run this country on our behalf.

It will not be long before there is a fatality, either a victim of the crime or a perpetrator. A man's tools are his and his family's livelihood and in the heat of the moment he will defend them as if his life depended on it.

Please help the situation before more innocent people fall victim of these low vile organised criminal gangs.

Please sign and share with all your friends and support all victims of this crime and call for stronger punishment for perpetrators.

Thank you on behalf of all UK tradesmen.