Guards on duty around the clock at Debenhams

THE owners of Nottingham’s Debenhams building say the site is now being manned by guards 24/7 after young boys got on to the roof and threw objects at people.

- By OLIVER PRIDMORE

The historic building has been invaded by YouTubers exploring “abandoned” buildings on multiple occasions, and six rowdy youngsters targeted it on July 31.

Nottingham City Council's leader said somebody could have been seriously injured in the incident and urged the owners of the building to “buck up”.

Councillor Neghat Khan said she had reached out to the owners, something which they say they are not aware of.

Edward Tuckett, from Longmead Capital, said: “Following last month’s incident, in which several individuals gained access to the roof of the former Debenhams building via unsecured scaffolding on a nearby property, we have engaged with a variety of stakeholders including Nottinghamshire Police and various departments within Nottingham City Council to ensure that something like this cannot happen again, and that all of the buildings nearby have suitable provisions in place to ensure the area's safety.

“Security of the site has always been a priority for us, and we have continued to make significant investments in this area.

“Following the recent incident, we have further strengthened measures with enhancements such as upgraded CCTV, additional boarding, and other safeguards, including 24/7 manned guarding on site.”