Historical properties should take precautions against smash and grab raids, urges a specialist heritage insurer. Ecclesiastical points most recently to how in May 2021 raiders plundered irreplaceable items from Arundel Castle, in Sussex (pictured). A solid gold toilet worth £4.8m was stolen from Blenheim Palace in September 2019; and an 18th century presentation gold box and a Faberge gold cigarette case set were among items stolen from Sudeley Castle in September 2019.
Faith Kitchen, Customer Segment Director at Ecclesiastical Insurance, said: “During the past few years we’ve seen an increase in smash and grab style attacks at heritage properties and this trend is likely to continue. We hope this new guidance will encourage people to think about the risks and how best to protect their properties from future smash and grab attacks.”
Smash and grab attacks use extreme force to overcome physical barriers to gain access to properties. Burglaries are carefully planned, the insurer reports, targeting portable high value items that may be stolen to order. Thieves aim to get in and out of a property as quickly as possible, often ignoring any intruder alarms; on the basis they will have left the property, especially if rural, before any police response arrives. Or, the thieves plan their route of entry and exit to evade detection.
A smash and grab can see items worth hundreds of thousands of pounds stolen.
Advice includes:
Try to locate portable valuable items away from the building perimeter, as far from external doors and windows as possible. The further thieves have to enter a property the longer it will take and the greater the risk of detection.
Where valuables are out on display to members of the public house them in security designed attack resistant display cabinets. Laminated/security glazing should be used and cabinet frames, locks and hinges should be designed to resist physical attacks.
If virtual tours of a property are included on websites avoid including the location of electronic security measures, such as intruder alarm and CCTV systems, which could be used to inform a planned attack.
Review perimeter security arrangements. Restrict vehicular access to the site and locate any designated parking as far from the main property as possible. The further thieves have to travel on foot the greater the risk of detection and the less they can carry away with them.
For smash and grab risk guidance visit the Ecclesiastical Insurance website: www.ecclesiastical.com/risk-management/heritage-crime/smash-grab-attacks.
More on heritage crime and security in the October print edition of Professional Security magazine.
