With the news that five teenage boys have been arrested and now bailed in connection with the fire at a scrapyard which closed a section of the M1 it is worth considering the threat of arson to commercial sites and the role of manned guarding in mitigating this risk. The boys, aged between 14 and 17, were arrested in connection with the M1 fire and two other fires.

The fire at a scrapyard in Mill Hill on 15 April caused severe damage to a bridge on the M1 leading to that part of the motorway being closed for six days. The motorway was fully reopened on the 21 April but with a 50mph speed limit. It is likely that there will need to be further closures to allow for more permanent repairs. The damage to the bridge was so bad that engineers said it was a 'miracle' the bridge hadn’t collapsed.

In the light of the huge disruption caused by this fire the Government is undertaking a risk audit into businesses near vital road and rail links. This is designed to identify risks to these businesses which might affect transport links and methods to manage these risks.

Given that the fire was started deliberately it would seem likely that good site security would be considered one of the main ways to mitigate risk. Scrapyards, building sites, building supply depots and other large commercial premises are at risk from theft and arson. By their nature open sites are harder to physically secure than buildings and so manned guarding is often the best solution.

Our security guards and dog handlers provide a great visual deterrent to unauthorised access. Security guards can also provide access control when the site is open. Please contact us to discuss your security needs.