When passing the church you may have noticed that there are now cameras on the roof. They are part of a new roof alarm system. In the event that the cameras detect movement, a video image is sent to a national control centre where an operator can evaluate whether the movement was caused by bird, animal or a person. If human, the operator can trigger a siren on the roof and summon a security team with guard dog.
A sophisticated and of course expensive system, but following a recent spate of lead thefts from churches in our area, Church Council took the decision to install this system. The key fact is that the system is recognised and approved by the church insurers and in the event of an attack, repairs are 100% covered by insurance. Previously any claim was limited to a maximum of £14,500. Church roof lead theft typically results in repair costs in excess of £100,000 – a huge fund raising challenge for a community as small as ours in Preston Bissett. We hope it never happens but at least we can now be confident that if it does, all can be made good.
St John the Baptist Church
There are some notecards for sale, depicting some beautiful watercolour drawings by John Gulliver. For more information call John on 848448. Proceeds go to the upkeep of the church.
