Section 25 of the 1968 Theft Act created the offence of "going equipped" for burglary or theft and refers to the possession of housebreaking implements including any item that is designed to be used to carry out a theft or burglary, as well as any items made specifically by a thief for use in committing a burglary.
The CPS [1] says that that law makes it an offence to knowingly possess an article for use in the course of or in connection with theft/ burglary and observes that the possession of the article must occur before the commission of the offence.
The CPS goes on to say that "Prosecutors should consider the evidence as a whole in order to determine whether or not there is sufficient evidence that the item is possessed for use or in connection with theft. Possession of an item alone, such as an empty rucksack or a pair of gloves, may be insufficient to found a charge of going equipped."
