Chainsaws And A Summer House Among Items Stolen From Ministry Of Defence Sites

Chainsaws And A Summer House Among Items Stolen From Ministry Of Defence Sites
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A replica sniper rifle, summer house and a "full steel industrial kitchen" are among hundreds of items reported stolen from Ministry of Defence sites over the past two years.

The list of items also includes three chainsaws, two Land Rovers and a minibus, as well as 68 armour plates for a tank and a sword.

Other military equipment to have been taken since November 2014 includes night vision headsets and goggles, sights for weapons and body armour, according to figures released to Parliament by defence minister Mark Lancaster.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) says it has "robust processes" in place to tackle theft, while many items are recovered later on.

But former shadow defence minister Kevan Jones raised concerns about the impact of cuts to security, in light of the new detail about these stolen items.

The Labour MP told the Press Association: "The Government's reductions to regular military police since 2010 was always going to put additional pressures on those who remained in service, and the Government needs to look again at whether service police have the resources needed to detect and deter thefts.

"Some of these items stolen are related to weapons systems and ministers need to address this issue with the seriousness it deserves."

Other big items to have been taken on MOD property include aircraft containers, a kayak and three rowing machines.

Overall, around 400 items worth more than £250 have been reported as stolen over the past two years.

In a further sign of security issues, separate figures released by the MOD Police in response to a freedom of information request show the force has seized 14 illegal firearms this year – more than in the past four years combined.

The stolen items figures were obtained by Labour MP Luciana Berger (Liverpool Wavertree) via a written parliamentary question.

In response to the former shadow minister, Mr Lancaster said "the weight of the full industrial kitchen and summer house has not been recorded".

He added: "The MOD works hard to detect and deter theft and there are robust processes in place to raise awareness of the need for vigilance in all aspects of security.

"Just as theft occurs in wider society, the MOD is not immune and we actively encourage individuals to report any evidence of loss or suspicion of theft.

"It is important to note that in some cases of reported theft, the property is later recovered.

"In the case of key assets however, MOD sites have a wide range of additional security measures to ensure their safety."

An MOD spokesman added: "We take the security of our sites very seriously and have robust procedures to deter and prevent losses and thefts, which are constantly reviewed."