Hire Association Europe & Event Hire Association (HAE EHA) has announced the development of a a new Theft & Fraud Reporting Portal, as it calls for vigilance ahead of the August Bank Holiday, a time typically rife with criminal activity against the construction sector.
The portal could support the recovery of almost £3 million worth of equipment within the year*.
Working in conjunction with the National Construction & Agricultural Theft Team (NCATT) and The Official Construction and Agricultural Equipment Security & Registration Scheme (CESAR) the new Theft & Fraud Reporting Portal will be aimed at HAE EHA members. They will be able to effectively share information on incidents with each other and specialist policing teams, enabling HAE EHA members to better safeguard their businesses against the rising threat of crime.
Construction and agricultural machinery theft has increased by 200 per cent since February 20221, with global events, like the war in Ukraine, driving up demand for stolen goods of this type. With Bank Holidays typically rife with crimes of this sort, as businesses close up shop for longer periods, making them prime targets for criminals, the hire industry is disproportionately impacted. At the same time, the equipment hire sector is experiencing a huge spike in fraudulent hires.
The collaborative initiative, which HAE is supporting with a significant investment over a three-year commitment, is made up of businesses, police and industry bodies, to tackle the growing crime rates against industry. A report, published by NCATT and CESAR, revealed that the total value of tools and equipment recovered from the sector in just the first quarter of this year was almost £700k.
The report also shared that 32 arrests had been made and 127 items recovered in Q1 2024, with some as far afield as Romania and Italy.
It also revealed that Essex was a prime target area for these crimes, with the regional police force being supported by CESAR and NCATT in 12 cases in Q1 2024. This is followed by Kent (eight cases), and Lancashire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and South Yorkshire forces being supported six times each in the same period.
Mark Bradshaw, public affairs manager at HAE EHA, said: "The rising crime rates against businesses in the hire sector is very worrying but the progress that the CESAR and NCATT teams have made is truly commendable and we are very proud at HAE to be part of this drive to combat crime affecting hire companies.
"Ensuring that we can gather as much information as possible about these crimes and work collaboratively across industry and the police is key to tackling this wave of organised crime against our hire sector. That’s why we are creating the Theft & Fraud Reporting Portal for our members to ensure that they have a way of getting this information directly to the policing teams that can help, as well as sharing their experience with other members, something which could help someone else to reduce their risk and keep their team and business safe.
"As the August Bank Holiday approaches, this will undoubtedly be an anxious time for those in the hire sector as a long weekend. I urge all these businesses to ensure that security procedures are followed, and that staff are fully briefed on how to make the sites as safe as possible. If incidents do occur, please do report them, both to the police and to us, the information will go directly into supporting the activity of the CESAR and NCATT teams."
Superintendent Andy Huddleston, head of the NCATT and head of the National Rural Crime Unit, said: "NCATT finished its first year of operation with over £6 million in seizures of stolen machinery from criminals. This is as much an indication of the scale of the threat we face as well as well as a measure of the success of NCATT. The high level of seizures and recoveries has continued throughout 2024 and crucially we are seeing more arrests and, with the support of the CESAR donor board including HAE funding support, the team now have a financial investigation capability.
"The Hire Association Europe’s three-year funding commitment to help fight plant equipment theft and fraud is absolutely crucial to us continuing this work and targeting construction machinery thieves. Having this specialist team of police officers that cover the whole of the country not only identifying stolen equipment but also coordinating forces and pushing legislative changes is making a difference in tackling organised criminal groups that target HAE members. We are a small unit and whilst we can’t support every theft investigation, what we are able to do is make a tangible difference and I thank the industry for its crucial support in helping us do this."
HAE EHA is a Birmingham-based industry-leading trade association for the plant, tool, equipment and event hire sectors with membership representing businesses from new startups to some of Europe’s largest hire companies. It has over 700 member companies based in the UK, Europe and across other parts of the world.
*CESAR NCATT report – figures are calculated from all construction recoveries in Q1, extrapolated to create an annual estimate
Construction News
22/08/2024
HAE Announce New Crime Reporting Portal


10/07/2025
Vistry Group has agreed two major deals with housing provider Abri to enable the delivery of almost 200 affordable homes across Hampshire, marking a significant step forward in addressing local housing needs.
In Funtley, near Fareham, Vistry has completed a simultaneous land acquisition and forward

10/07/2025
Caddick Construction has officially completed its first Midlands project with the handover of Mansion House, a six-storey residential development comprising 58 new apartments, to joint venture partners Urban Splash and Places for People.
Located on the 43-acre Port Loop island alongside Birmingham

10/07/2025
Lovell has broken ground on a new residential development in Port Sunlight, set to transform a long-vacant brownfield industrial site into a thriving community of 115 high-quality homes.
Located on Dock Road North, the development supports the local authority’s strategy to unlock underused land for

10/07/2025
Morgan Sindall Construction's Wales division has officially broken ground on a new state-of-the-art Additional Learning Needs (ALN) school in Clydach Vale, designed to be net zero carbon in operation.
Commissioned by Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, the £37 million school will provide Engl

10/07/2025
HG Construction has announced a £1.2 million investment in Dumarey Green Power's 'Revolution Battery' technology, following successful trials earlier this year aimed at decarbonising crane and hoist operations across its UK sites.
The investment marks a significant step in HG Construction's drive t

10/07/2025
M Group has completed a major improvement project at Queenstown Road Station in south-west London, delivering long-awaited upgrades including a new rear entrance designed to ease access for daily commuters.
Undertaken on behalf of developer Taylor Wimpey, the project involved significant engineerin

10/07/2025
Helical has appointed McLaren Construction as the main contractor for the £90 million transformation of Brettenham House, an iconic Art Deco building on London's north bank, into a state-of-the-art sustainable office and retail hub.
Originally built in 1932 and located within the Savoy Conservation

10/07/2025
Tower Hamlets Council has completed 30 road resurfacing schemes across the borough over the past year, thanks to targeted investment and funding support from central government.
The improvements aim to deliver a more resilient road network, reduce disruption, and lower carbon emissions.
Part-fund

10/07/2025
Mace has been appointed by Pegasi to deliver the major transformation of Fresh Wharf, a prominent 1980s building located on the banks of the River Thames, into a cutting-edge, sustainability-driven workplace.
Situated just minutes from Tower Bridge, the 11-storey structure will be transformed to of

10/07/2025
Morgan Sindall Construction has celebrated a key milestone at Abbeywood Community School with a steel signing ceremony marking the final structural installation of the school's new extension – completed ahead of schedule.
Held on 27 June, the event brought together representatives from South Glouce