Dover church vandals thwarted by Secom

19 Oct 09

The Vicar of Buckland-in-Dover, Father Tim Foreman, has stated that since installing Security Shield at the St Nicholas Church in Buckland Valley, acts of vandalism by local miscreants have stopped.

By Brian Sims

St Nicholas is a modern church with Georgian-style frosted windows which, reprehensibly, have become a favoured target of stone-throwing vandals. The church is on sloping ground next to a park, itself on a higher level. This renders the church’s windows an easy target.

“We replaced the original steel-framed windows with double-glazed uPVC units, but the problem persisted," said Father Foreman. “I had always resisted the idea of cages or bars to protect the windows. We needed a security solution that would provide excellent protection without darkening the interior too much.”

Secom has protected ten windows at the church with Security Shield Vandal, an unobtrusive vandal-proof guard for end users working with limited budgets. The company also supplies Security Shield Intruder, a range of superior window and door security solutions both accredited and police approved (LPS 1175 Security Rating 1).

Barrier and visual deterrent in one

Both versions are based on durable, perforated metal screens which provide both a barrier and a visual deterrent without the need for unsightly bars or opaque grilles. The screens, available in a variety of colours, give the appearance of tinted glass while allowing more than 60% of natural light to penetrate the space within.

Mark Wootton, the manager of Secom’s Physical Division, stated that Security Shield is an extremely cost-effective alternative to re-glazing that can also assist clients in saving on insurance premiums. “Security Shield is suitable for all types of premises and locations, from offices to supermarkets and bus shelters to places of worship,” said Wootton in conversation with SMT Online.

“It's particularly well-suited to churches, many of which suffer from mindless vandalism. Security Shield not only saves the cost of repairs or insurance, but it can also protect priceless, historic stained glass windows without affecting the appearance of the building in any significant way.”