Security bolstered to stop Debenhams trespassers

The firm that manages the former Debenhams building in Nottingham city centre says it has bolstered security and warned trespassers they are putting lives at risk.

Nottinghamshire Police has frequently been called to reports of children and young people entering the building in Long Row, off Old Market Square, with some accessing the roof.

A closure order has been extended to 20 November and Longmead Capital - which manages the building on behalf of the owner - said it had brought in a 24-hour security patrol, upgraded CCTV and added anti-climb paint.

It comes after Neghat Khan, leader of Nottingham City Council, warned it was "a matter of time" before somebody died there.

The store was closed in May 2021 as part of wider closures of all Debenhams outlets, and the building has remained vacant since.

Young people accessing the building led authorities to obtain the closure order in May.

On Monday, two boys, 14 and 15, were arrested after bricks were thrown from the roof of the derelict building.

The force said the incident was the latest in a spate of "urban exploring" reports in central Nottingham, where people gain entry into abandoned buildings.

Police said on Saturday that a 13-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance, entering closed premises in contravention of a closure order and criminal damage after officers identified him as a ringleader for recent incidents, including at the former Debenhams.

He was also arrested and released on bail in connection with a burglary at a school in Ruddington. He has also banned from entering the centre of Nottingham, cannot wear a face covering, and must comply with an evening curfew.

A spokesperson for Longmead Capital said people had been accessing the roof by climbing across adjacent buildings and that tackling the problem would require a collective approach.

They added the company was working closely with the city council and police, and had "called for a meeting of neighbouring property owners and occupiers to find a solution".

The spokesperson said: "We have a security guard and dog patrolling the site 24 hours a day, upgraded CCTV and anti-climb paint on the guttering and drainpipes.

"Anyone climbing on to the building is trespassing on private property but more importantly, they are putting themselves at serious risk."

Expressing her concerns over the building earlier in the week, Khan told BBC Radio Nottingham: "It's just going to be a matter of time when somebody dies - either a pedestrian walking past, or a young person, or whoever on that building will fall and die.

"We know that's going to happen, there's no question about it. The building isn't safe, so we need to do something."

Khan also pointed to the challenges posed by social media.

"Unfortunately, we live in a time where people think it's cool to break in and make these videos because they're not shying away from it," she said.

"They're actually on social media - telling you they're up there."

Similarly, Ch Insp Kylie Davies previously said: "Trespassing into buildings for social media clout isn't clever - it leads directly to police interviews and criminal accountability for damage. This reckless behaviour will not be tolerated."

She asked parents and guardians to talk to children about the dangers of breaking into empty buildings.

"I have said before, and I will say again, we do not want to be delivering the news to them that their son or daughter has died as a result of being in this dangerous building," she added.

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