In the quiet calm of the night, the sanctity of our historical churches is being threatened. The aim? The precious lead that adorns the ancient roofs. The danger is real and the intruders are swift. The below CCTV footage unveils just how rapid a theft attempt can unfold and be thwarted. Within a mere minute, watch as two intruders scale a church window, scramble onto the parapets and ascend to the secondary roof to reach the lead. Within moments of them stepping onto the alarmed roof, the deterrent blares into action, sending the would-be thieves scampering away into the shadows.
This fleeting encounter, captured in the accompanying video, substantiates what we often hear from dismayed church members: "We arrived just minutes after the alarm, yet saw no sign of disturbance. Could the alarm have malfunctioned?" This footage emphatically answers: No. Even a minute’s delay can provide ample escape time for agile intruders.
Our roof alarm operates on a straightforward principle of cause and effect. Detecting a threat triggers its blue strobes and an amalgam of voice and siren alarms, generating an immediate sense of urgency for the intruders to vacate the premises.
We envisage our clients cherishing the peace of mind that comes with an installed roof alarm, appreciating its vigilance when activated. However, recent experiences suggest a tendency towards annoyance when a long-silent alarm suddenly springs into action.
The bitter truth is, metal theft and heritage crime continue to plague both urban and secluded rural places of worship across the UK. The statistics paint a bleak picture, with countless churches falling prey to such crimes each year. When a security alarm sets off, it shatters the veil of complacency that these organised criminals bank on.
As we continue to witness and combat the relentless attempts on our historical sanctuaries, let this one-minute footage serve as a stark reminder of the fine line between safety and loss, urging us to uphold and invest in robust security measures that shield our heritage from the clutches of opportunism.
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