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Sure Lock installed Videx's VX 2000 systems at the main doors of both sets of flats in the Druid's Heath area. The system incorporates the latest microprocessor technology, while being robust and requiring little maintenance. It allows residents to control access to their buildings via an intercom system.

Sure Lock director Brett Barrett commented: "This was the first time we had installed Videx equipment and we will definitely use it in the future. It has been tried and tested and is certainly robust enough to stand up to vandalism. Druid's Heath is a fairly rough area and the tenants here need to know their homes are safe.

"As well as installing a new Videx handset in each flat, we also fitted a camera onto the front door panel on each building, which the tenants can view on channel 6 of their televisions. This allows everyone to see who is coming into the building, without the need for small monitors in each flat, which are too small for some of the older tenants to use."

Upgrades for the disabled
Bolton-based Spectra Security used Bewator technology to upgrade the local council's access system to ensure compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act. The system is being installed well ahead of regulatory changes coming into force next year, requiring disabled staff or members of the public to enjoy the same ease of access as the more able-bodied.

Council facilities manager Bryan Colquitt explained: "Automatic doors cause problems for the disabled. Wheelchair users in particular may not find it easy to activate the lock and then may struggle to pass through the doorway." Bolton's new system uses Bewator's hands-free technology.

Spectra operations director Barry Sloan said: "We upgraded the existing system of proximity readers to the more advanced Cotag HR100. Its much larger range means that cards can be kept in pockets or on badges. We combined these with automatic door openers controlled by PIRs and large push buttons for exit only."

The new hands-free card system is fitted to all 230 controlled doors throughout five council buildings.

Historic bollards
Traffic management system provider ATG Access has engineered retracting bollards which now control vehicle access to Constitution Hill at Hyde Park Corner in London. The tapered bronze-cast bollards are an integral new element within an impressive monument which commemorates the five million soldiers from India, Africa and the Caribbean who fought alongside Britain during the two world wards.

Aesthetically pleasing yet durable materials such as bronze were selected for the bollards to ensure low maintenance and a long life operation at this prestigious location. However, with solid bronze-cast bollards weighing up to 80 kilos each, ATG needed to engineer more powerful hydraulics to raise and lower the bollards simultaneously and without manual intervention.

In order to complement the monument's historic setting, ATG paid particular attention to the bollard detailing, and even concealed a vehicle detection system within the monument's bronze lantern columns to ensure that the integrity of the memorial remains intact. ATG's high quality solution for this project was delivered within budget and within a demanding installation schedule. ATG had previously installed bollards at Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace.

Sales director Keith Blundell commented: "The bollards can become an inconspicuous part of any design scheme or streetscape, and yet still provide reliable performance and high levels of flexibility and security."

APT secures the police!
APT Controls has played a vital role in securing the main vehicle access point at Havering police station with the installation of its fast-acting Bi-folding Fastgate.

The police station, in Romford, Essex, installed the Fastgate as part of a review of security, which included looking at the vehicle entry and exit point at the rear of the building. It needed a solution that enabled rapid entry and exit to the site without compromising the station's security.

Chris Johnson, senior project manager in the Property Services Department at the Metropolitan Police, commented: "The APT Bi-folding Fastgate has been tried and tested and has a good track record for reliability. The gate adheres to health and safety legislation and has been endorsed by our corporate security advisors.

"The bi-folding action enables the gates to open more quickly than traditional sliding gates. Security and reliability are essential for our effective operation. Our officers need to come in and out of the station as quickly as possible, but without leaving the station vulnerable. I would recommend the APT Fastgate without hesitation."

The bi-folding action of the Fastgate enables the gate to open and close in less than four seconds.

Luxury waterside property
Garage Master of Poole has installed a swing gate system, automated with FAAC underground operators at an eye-catching new home in the town. Designed in a boldly contemporary style, Sunset Strip has stunning white walls with blue window and doorframes, blue garage doors and electronically operated external sunblinds with blue glass. The property was on the market at £1.5m, so security and privacy are important issues.

The gates at Sunset Strip are of wrought iron, finished in blue to complement the house, and automated with FAAC 770 underground operators. The 770 range provides concealed automation for swing gates of up to 2.5m per leaf in length and has been designed with a load-bearing box for automating gates up to 500kg per leaf in weight.

The system features a corrosion-proof coating that is highly resistant to atmospheric agents, combined with total water-proofing and IP7 protection of the operator. Safety is ensured by an electronic anti-crushing device that adjusts the drive torque directly.

Access control at Sunset Strip is provided by an entryphone. A digital coded entry/exit facility is also available at the gates. The property's owners have four-button radio controls which operate the gates, the two garage doors separately and both garage doors together to allow direct waterside access for boats.

Intercom for disabled
Security Services of Stoke-on-Trent installed the Aiphone VC audio entry system at the new Remploy factory in the city. The VC system is being used as an intercom to enable disabled drivers to request assistance from the reception desk when they arrive to work.

Remploy staff who arrive by car and require assistance simply drive into a dedicated lay-by where the intercom is situated, and ask for assistance without leaving their car. The intercom calls to the reception desk, where members of staff are on standby for those who may need help once they have parked up. The Aiphone intercom has been fitted into a stainless steel post and positioned at an accessible height for use from a car.

Security Services, who offer a range of installations from access control to CCTV and remote monitoring, look after many Remploy buildings. Project manager Tony Zicari commented: "This installation was a bit unusual as the equipment was not being used as a door entry system but as an intercom to facilitate access for disabled workers. However, Aiphone was a good choice for this application as the equipment is versatile, reliable and easy to install."

The bespoke stainless steel post used to house the door station was manufactured by RS Fabrications, a sister company to BC Technology.

Carry on nurse
Hi-Tech Controls of Bolton has completed a major project at the North Manchester Hospital with TelGuard, a provider of home telephone based secure entry systems. A TelGuard Senior system protects the 50 room nurses' residence building via individual home phones, while two Junior systems give protection and secure access to the main hospital building via its front and rear entrances.

The latter are connected to the phones in the administration block with entry permitted via the # key on the handset, while the whole installation is also part of the site's PABX system. In the nurses' residence, access is similarly granted via the home handset in each residential unit.