EXECUTIVE REPORT
The need for vigilance
A spate of thefts from hirers’ premises in north-west England has shown again the need for vigilance and preventative measures. Alan Guthrie reports.
Depots of national, regional and independent local hirers were victims of a wave of thefts towards the end of last year. One company affected was One Stop Hire which has 14 depots in the region. Several of these have suffered break-ins since the autumn but the incidents became much more frequent in November. These locations include Trafford Park in Manchester, Liverpool, Bolton, Leyland and Bromborough.
“We thought our security measures were good with roller shutters, CCTV and anti-ram bollards fitted at our depots,” said MD Steve Hitchen, who helped raise awareness of the crime wave and spoke about it to other hirers at very short notice at our Executive Hire Regional Road Show in Haydock in November. However, the criminals found ways around these using bigger stolen vehicles with improvised bridging accessories between bollards, like fridge- freezers and wheelie bins.”
The thieves typically force open the roller shutters with repeated rammings and then squeeze through the gap created. One Stop Hire estimates that £15,000 worth of equipment was taken at each incident, with an additional £5,000 of repair and reinstatement work being necessary.
Upgraded CCTV security
“We have now implemented a programme of upgrading all our CCTV to monitored coverage, remotely checked by security guards who can
Heavy-duty gates have been installed at entrances.
immediately challenge intruders with a verbal warning. This seems to be working: on six occasions in a recent three-week period, footage shows suspicious people driving away when they see the new equipment we have fitted,” said Steve Hitchen. “We are also installing bigger, better and higher specification anti-ram bollards in a staggered pattern, concrete barriers building internal cages for storing smaller equipment and putting steel gates behind roller shutters. The total cost will be approximately £150,000.
Another hirer affected was Marchstream Tool Hire of Denton in east Manchester. “We have actually had four break-ins in the past year,” said MD Joe Hayes. “On the most recent occasion, thieves used an oil drum and a pallet to ram the roller shutter open. We have now installed internal steel doors and a 6m container inside to store lighter equipment. It’s all a matter of slowing the thieves down and making it difficult for them.” New electric gates are also being installed at the main entrance to the trading estate where Marchstream is located.
Severely affected
The aftermath of a break-in at One Stop Hire’s Trafford Park depot.
Barriers have been placed at the front of One Stop Hire’s buildings for extra protection.
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One hirer that was severely affected by another ram-raid attack in November was Alpha Hire of Hindley which has traded for 15 years from a high street shop with a narrow pavement in front making it impossible to install protective bollards. “One Saturday night a gang of five wearing balaclavas used a black Audi A5 to ram the roller shutter door and through two double-skin brick walls, destroying the front door,” said owner Mark Thompson. “They took small equipment like cut-off saws, nail guns and leaf blowers, worth about £15,000. I’m basically a one-man band and the effect of this might mean I have to sell the shop and find a smaller place, going back to servicing plant which I did before starting Alpha Hire.”
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