Insurer issues warning as more vandals target heritage organisations

Nine out of 10 heritage organisations experienced crime within the space of 12 months, new research from Ecclesiastical has revealed.

Published yesterday (3 January 2024), the data showed that such organisations had become a prime target for vandals, with them having suffered more incidents over the course of 2023.

For example, some 32% were defaced by graffiti during the past year, up 9% on 2022.

Ecclesiastical highlighted that one case in April 2023 saw vandals spray-painted graffiti on walls, flagstone floors and a historic fountain in Linlithgow Palace in Scotland.

Meanwhile, another 32% of heritage organisations suffered anti-social behaviour, up 3% year-on-year, while three in 10 reported experiencing verbal abuse towards staff and volunteers from visitors, up 4%.

In turn, these organisations consider crime a significant worry, with 57% anticipating a rise in criminal activities over the coming year.

And 69% stated that they were more concerned about crime than ever before.

The survey was made up of 500 decision makers from UK heritage organisations, including museums, theatres, castles, stately homes and galleries.

Faith Kitchen, customer segment director at Ecclesiastical, said: “As the UK’s leading insurer of Grade I listed buildings, we’re passionate about protecting Britain’s heritage.

“Our research shows heritage organisations are a prime target for criminals and it is concerning to see that graffiti and anti-social behaviour has increased.”

Action

Kitchen explained that there were a number of measures heritage organisations can take to better secure property and assets.

And the research found that the majority (95%) of heritage organisations were taking proactive steps to prevent crime.

The top security investments made during the past 12 months were CCTV (58%), security guards and patrols (47%) and alarms (44%).

However, the research also found heritage organisations were reviewing their crime and security risks less frequently, with two thirds (68%) of decision makers believing their organisation needed to do more to prevent crime.

Kitchen said: “There are a number of measures heritage organisations can take to better secure property and assets, which would ideally be a combination of both physical and electronic protection.

“Reviewing perimeter security arrangements, ensuring entry points are well lit and secured can often offer a good first line of defence against unwanted visitors, while CCTV can act as a visual deterrent for those not wanting to be caught on camera.”