Escalating crime hits firms and vital projects with costly delays and disruption
A new report has revealed that despite ongoing efforts, site crime in the UK construction industry continues to escalate sharply, causing severe financial losses and significant delays for firms and critical infrastructure projects across the country.
According to the BauWatch’s Construction Crime Report 2025, an alarming 67% of construction professionals have witnessed an increase in on-site crime over the past year – nearly double the European average. The impact is not limited to stolen tools and materials; increasingly sophisticated criminal operations are wreaking havoc on construction projects, leading to costly delays that impact already tight margins. The report found that nearly one-third (31%) of construction projects have been delayed due to crime-related incidents, with one in four of those projects facing slowdowns of up to four weeks. This is causing financial losses not only to the companies directly involved, but across the entire supply chain, hampering public infrastructure programmes and residential construction projects – projects that are crucial to meet housing targets, modernise critical infrastructure and support the energy transition.
Mim Mogul, UK Managing Director at BauWatch, warned: “These are not petty thefts. They are calculated operations run by well organised networks. Beyond the immediate financial impact, the consequences include delayed projects, increasing insurance costs and even serious mental health issues for those affected, particularly SMEs and sole traders.”
