Metal theft is one of the biggest issues facing businesses at present. Nationally, the cost associated with it is in the millions and affects companies large and small, impacting on your profits due to the increased costs for your business.

The Government invested £5 million into a special task force to combat this UK wide issue, but due to cuts, it's likely to be withdrawn and the task force disbanded.

Since the formation of the taskforce, metal theft in some areas has plummeted to its lowest level since 2006, without the task force and preventative measures it is logical we may witness a rise again in the number of UK metal thefts.

If your or kegs are stolen would you know what you're covered for? Does  your policy have a condition which stipulates minimum security measures that must be taken to prevent the loss in the first place? If it doesn't, would a potential claim be covered? According to Metropolitan Police the whole problem of metal theft is estimated to cost the UK economy £1 billion a year.

We understand that you need to run your business and juggle priorities to make it safe and profitable. We also understand you might not have enough time to consider all the aspects that may impact upon it. Your current broker should be in touch with you offering valuable risk management advice to combat metal theft and reduce the likelihood of a claim. This in turn will help reduce claims and associated insurance costs.

Samuel Ashby Cert CII | Development Executive | Sutton Winson Ltd