Wednesday 18 February 2004 - News - Security
Derby car park listed among world's 'most secure'
A car park in Derbyshire
now ranks as one of the most secure places in the world, it was
reported today.
A study carried for science magazine Focus scoured the planet for the top 10 safest sites which include Saddam Hussein's bunker in Baghdad, Fort Knox and Air Force One - the US presidential aircraft.
However, Bold Lane car park in Derby was listed as an impressive number 10, according to newspaper reports.
With enough space for 440 cars in the multi-storey car park, there has not been a single theft or case of vandalism in six years.
The Focus report said: "The multi-storey uses a sophisticated web including CCTV cameras, panic buttons, entry doors and bar-coded tickets to guarantee security, but the keystone is super-sharp patented sensors that spot if a parked car moves even a little when the central computer thinks it should be stock still, resulting in a lock-down of the site. Smart stuff."
The car park, near the city's shopping centre, was designed by Ken Wigley, an agricultural engineer. In 1990, his car window was smashed and stereo stolen while parked in an airport car park.
Customers at Bold Lane pay an extra 20p per hour to ensure the safety of their car and as its reputation grew, turnover rose from £87,000 in 1997 to £531,219 in 2002.
The only other UK entry in the top ten was the property of HavenCo - a data protection company which is based at Sealand in the North Sea, six miles off Britain. Access is apparently restricted to authorised staff, investors and members of the Royal Family!
The Cheyenne Mountain based command, control, communication and intelligence centre for coordinating and controlling North American Aerospace Defence Command came top of the league.
Max Herd
A study carried for science magazine Focus scoured the planet for the top 10 safest sites which include Saddam Hussein's bunker in Baghdad, Fort Knox and Air Force One - the US presidential aircraft.
However, Bold Lane car park in Derby was listed as an impressive number 10, according to newspaper reports.
With enough space for 440 cars in the multi-storey car park, there has not been a single theft or case of vandalism in six years.
The Focus report said: "The multi-storey uses a sophisticated web including CCTV cameras, panic buttons, entry doors and bar-coded tickets to guarantee security, but the keystone is super-sharp patented sensors that spot if a parked car moves even a little when the central computer thinks it should be stock still, resulting in a lock-down of the site. Smart stuff."
The car park, near the city's shopping centre, was designed by Ken Wigley, an agricultural engineer. In 1990, his car window was smashed and stereo stolen while parked in an airport car park.
Customers at Bold Lane pay an extra 20p per hour to ensure the safety of their car and as its reputation grew, turnover rose from £87,000 in 1997 to £531,219 in 2002.
The only other UK entry in the top ten was the property of HavenCo - a data protection company which is based at Sealand in the North Sea, six miles off Britain. Access is apparently restricted to authorised staff, investors and members of the Royal Family!
The Cheyenne Mountain based command, control, communication and intelligence centre for coordinating and controlling North American Aerospace Defence Command came top of the league.
Max Herd
