Labour MP welcomes BBC spotlight on freight crime in the Midlands
The Labour MP for North Warwickshire and Bedworth has welcomed the broadcast of a major BBC documentary exposing the growing threat of organised freight crime across the region.
Rachel Taylor has been leading a campaign in Parliament to crack down on freight theft, which she says is costing local businesses millions and driving up prices for consumers. Last year, she tabled a Bill calling for the creation of a dedicated crime code for freight offences, arguing it would give police forces the tools they need to better track and target criminal gangs.
Ms Taylor is also urging the government to develop a national freight crime strategy and increase funding for police so they can better protect hauliers and pursue organised groups involved in large-scale freight theft.
Her campaign gained fresh momentum following the release of Lorry Crime Exposed, a BBC Midlands documentary that aired on 17 November and is now available on BBC iPlayer. The programme reveals the extent and sophistication of freight criminality, including a case in which offenders purchased a transport company using the identity of a deceased man, allowing them to appear as if they were legitimate hauliers before escaping with £75,000 worth of goods.
Speaking on BBC Midlands Today following the broadcast, the MP highlighted the significance of the issue for her constituency, where one in five workers is employed in the freight and logistics sector. She said not a single local haulage business had avoided the impact of organised theft, which has left companies thousands of pounds out of pocket and deeply affected staff morale.
Taylor warned that the consequences of freight crime extended far beyond the industry itself. With losses estimated at £111 million a year across the sector, she said the costs were ultimately passed on to consumers through higher prices.
“Last year I launched my campaign to tackle freight crime by tabling a new Bill in Parliament, so it’s brilliant to see BBC Midlands highlighting this major issue in a new documentary,” she said.
“Twenty per cent of my constituents work in freight, and the BBC have shone a light on what hauliers in North Warwickshire and Bedworth have been telling me for months: that hardcore organised crime is undermining this essential industry and costing businesses and consumers millions.
“That’s why I’m campaigning for a new crime code for freight crime, more investment in security at truck stops, and a national policing strategy to deal with the issue, so we can put these shameless criminals behind bars where they belong.”