The lockup I've been using for car work was broken into last night.

 

Bolt cutters were used on outer doors, the hasp and staple fitted with a hardened padlock. Nearby unit's none-hardened padlock was also cut.

 

Think they must have been disturbed as nothing was taken, no tools or toolboxes, not the welder, or my friend's compressor, not even a chainsaw in plain sight. Maybe they don't understand the value of a Polo fuel tank and a used metric socket set.

 

I've brought my MIG welder home just in case they try again.

 

Any thoughts on how to protect it?

We have a unit in the middle of nowhere that would be fairly easy to break into. It's not a great solution, but we just leave nothing in there of value. Random hand tools go in a site safe / tool vault like they use on building sites which is bolted to the concrete floor. Hopefully anyone who breaks in will waste a load of time breaking those open to find a load of junk and not bother trying to get a vehicle out.

 

If they want to get in, they'll get in. You can pretty much take any padlock off in a minute with basic tools. If you've got a vehicle door and a personnel door, make it so the vehicle door only opens from inside, then go to town with security on the personnel door. 

 

Other than that, I used to have a burglar alarm with a SIM card in at my old office, it was ok for the £70? it was off ebay. The PIR's were crap, but it had a few channels for door open sensors. 

Ta, we sometimes park an old van in front of the big doors (when we can start it).

 

Any point having a camera or security light?

I'd say not unless there's someone there to see it at the time. All a CCTV playback is going to show you is a few lads in hoodies getting out of a transit with fake numberplates on. 

Or the other way of looking at it is professional thieves have confirmed you don't own anything with stealing 😬

Yeah maybe, or too awkward and heavy to carry.

 

A pink Vespa under a blanket in a nearby forcibly opened unit was also untouched.

But there's some disagreement whether it is fugly or cute among those of us who have seen it, so I can only imagine the thieves having the same discussion.

 

All tools and equipment at a house being renovated nearby were taken on the same night. Perhaps they had a van full.

 

I've got a hardened hasp to fit and landlord is looking at better lock for the big doors and camera/alarm.

The best thing to do with the main doors is chain them shut from the inside. Pretty much any padlock can be taken off in a minute with a big pair of stilsons and a length of pipe, the only real exception is one that's surrounded by some decent metalwork. 

They were probably looking to steal oxy acetalene cutting equipment to use to hit a bigger value target. Mates workshop was broken into and that's all they took. Couple of days later police had tracked him down through BOC as his kit was used for a break in at a warehouse and abandoned

Ah, that's interesting. There's actually a second hand plasma cutter with a broken torch in one dark corner.

Not very portable though as mains powered.