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Tradesmen are “having their livelihoods wrecked by scumbags” stealing their tools, Robert Jenrick has warned.

The Shadow Justice Secretary said police and ministers should be “embarrassed that stolen tools are being sold across the country in plain sight”.

It comes after Mr Jenrick was sworn at and threatened as he confronted traders selling tools – which could have been stolen – at a car boot sale in Hounslow, West London.

One waved a drill at the top Tory, forcing him to put his hand up to cool tensions.

Police recorded around 70 tool thefts every day last year, costing builders, labourers, roofers, plumbers and electricians at least £40 million.

Research by Direct Line said almost half of the 25,525 tool thefts were from vehicles, such as vans.

Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick told the Daily Express: “Tradesmen are having their livelihoods wrecked by scumbags who steal their tools. It’s completely out of control and it needs to be stamped out immediately.

“The Government is asleep at the wheel. They’re have no clue how bad things are. If they won’t act, then I and other campaigners will – because the criminals need to be exposed, locked up and order restored.

“The authorities should be embarrassed that stolen tools are being sold across the country in plain sight. I will keep going until they’re shamed into action.”

Mr Jenrick on Sunday morning clashed with traders at a car boot sale flogging tools with personal identification marks on them, leading to fears they’d previously been stolen.

The Shadow Justice Secretary was sworn at by one man, while another said “we own this place, just move on”.

In one alarming clip, Mr Jenrick asked one seller: “There’s a bloke’s name on that – Jamie.

“Someone’s knicked that haven’t they?

“Are you going to make some money out of that guy?”

He asked another trader: “This is just the contents of some bloke’s van isn’t it?

“Where is all this from?”

Some at the car boot sale fought back, telling Mr Jenrick “it’s not got [anything] to do with you?”

Another said: “You know what’s going to happen now? There’s going to be a lot of us.”

Confronting one trader selling dozens of tools, the senior Tory asked “where did you get all these from?”

The seller responds: “Big containers”.

Mr Jenrick then asks: “Where did you get a big container of tools from?”

Joking, the salesman responds: “I don’t know, he didn’t tell me because I would buy it from there as well.”

Confronting the owner of the site in Hounslow, Mr Jenrick asked: “You honestly think that everything being sold here is completely legit?”

He responded: “Yeah, otherwise…”

Mr Jenrick then interrupts: “Where do you think they are getting all of these tools?

“If I owned a car boots sale and I was making money out of it, I wouldn’t want the car boot sale to be selling stolen goods.”

The owner hit back: “We don’t permit anybody to sell stolen goods whatsoever.”

Asked how he enforces that, the unnamed owner said: “We give everybody a leaflet on the way in.”

A furious Mr Jenrick then declares: “You make it all sound like it’s a bit of a joke.”

Separate research by MoneySupermarket revealed the number of tool thefts in London alone has soared by 70% from 5,598 in 2021 to 9,559 last year.

Thieves break into vans by cutting panels, smashing windows or pulling doors open with “brute force”.

Mark Summerville, SME Product Manager at Direct Line business insurance, said: “The darker winter months help provide cover for thieves, making it easier for them to break into vehicles, garages, lockups, or building sites unnoticed.

“Tool theft is costly, hugely disruptive and stressful for tradespeople. It is not just the value of the tools stolen, it often leaves tradespeople unable to work and causes serious scheduling headaches while they replace their tools. In many cases, theft also involves damage to the van itself, adding repair costs and further downtime to an already challenging situation.

“With police data showing that thieves exploit the short winter days, now is the time to review how and where tools are stored and take extra precautions such as installing extra locks and alarms or parking in secure, well-lit areas whenever possible.”

A NPCC spokesperson said: “Tool thefts can have a significant impact on people’s livelihoods, particularly for those in the trade industry.

“Through the National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership, we continue to work with industry to tackle this damaging crime, with a focus on deterring and disrupting offenders and preventing thefts from happening in the first place by exploring opportunities to make goods much harder to steal and sell on.

“Many police forces offer property marking days and we encourage businesses and individuals to keep a register of items with key details such as serial numbers.

“We also urge people to be vigilant for these items being sold second-hand.

“If a tool is available for sale at a much lower price than it should be, then there’s every chance this could be a disposal route for stolen goods.

“If you see anything suspicious then please report it to the police so we can investigate.”