Over £500k of kit stolen from MoD

06 February 2012

Snare drums, morphine, a bearskin hat and a shed door were among more than £500,000 worth of items reported lost or stolen from the Ministry of Defence in the last ten months, official data has shown.

Telescopic rods valued at £67,700, four generators worth £25,000, sniper's sights to the value of £8,000 and assorted laptop computers, mobile phones and satellite navigation systems were among the items listed as missing between March 2011 and January 2012.

Rifle parts, ration packs, armour and ammunition holders were also among the £527,879 total value of equipment listed.

MPs recently criticised the rise in reported theft from Ministry of Defence facilities after figures showed that around £1.9m of equipment was lost or stolen in 2010/11. Five years previously the value of reported thefts was set at £367,000.

The latest data released gives an insight into some of the items taken from Ministry of Defence sites in recent months, and includes clay pigeon traps worth £32,000, a £2,400 lead statue, battery packs worth £7,000, a £1,000 chainsaw and £5,500 worth of historic broadswords, as well as £230 of pregnancy tests.

Liverpool Wavertree MP Luciana Berger expressed surprise that the thefts had continued despite the release of similar data in April 2011. Several of the items revealed as lost or stolen from last year's figures were found or recovered later, however, including a £50,000 helicopter rotor tuner.

"It is astonishing that, on this government's watch, thieves can continue to walk away with equipment, weapons and body armour meant for British troops in combat or in training," she said.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said: "The MoD takes any loss or theft of equipment very seriously and has robust procedures in place to prevent possible future incidents.

"New processes and instructions have also been implemented to raise awareness of the need for vigilance in all aspects of departmental security.

"Investigations are undertaken into every loss or theft, and appropriate disciplinary action taken against those caught."