A bar in Manchester city centre has had no reported bag theft since customers started using a clip which can be fitted inconspicuously under tables.
The Manchester Bierkellar, a theme bar boasting German beers and a Bavarian style menu, has had Chelsea Clips fitted in its dining area, which can seat more than 200. The venue, which features four bar areas, regularly attracts more than 1500 on a Saturday night. As elsewhere, bags left unattended on the back of chairs or on the floor are targets for bag thieves but the clips can offer peace of mind. After a recent crime impact survey by Greater Manchester Police, all licensed premises in Manchester are now required to fit under table clips to deter handbag theft.
The Chelsea Clip is described by Kent-based security product company Selectamark as a deterrent, against opportunist bag theft from public places. It’s an injection-moulded nylon hook from which a bag, rucksack or camera case can be suspended by its own strap. Two hands are needed to remove an item from the clip, which can be fitted to tables, walls, bars, behind lavatory doors; anywhere a customer may need to secure belongings.
Handbags often contain a number of financially valuable or sentimental items. Each time a handbag is stolen, women are said to face an average bill of £109 to replace the bag and its contents. More than one in 10 women carries a bag worth £250 or more.
The department store Harrods recently placed a large order for the clip to deter handbag theft and is using them under tables in their dining and bar areas. The clips are also being used in Wrexham, where local police have recommended them to night club owners after a spate of bag theft at late-night venues.
Signage is being used to advertise the use of the clips under tables, which police think has been a deterrent in itself. Since the clips have been introduced there have been no bag thefts reported from any of the clubs.
Selectamark add that suitable posters and other display material such as window and menu stickers should always be used with the clip as a deterrent to thieves and as a reminder to customers and staff that the clips are there to be used.
The labels, which carry the wording ‘Secure your bag here’ can be placed around the neck of a wine bottle to advertise the clips. One London council had the labels printed in tourist languages so that visitors to cafes and restaurants could be alerted to the risk of bag theft but protected from it at the same time.
Hotels, pubs, restaurants, bars and cafes in the London Borough of Westminster and at Angel in the London Borough of Islington are also using the clip. Cafes belonging to the anti-crime scheme Café Watch including Starbucks, Eat, Costa Coffee, Coffee Republic, Pret and Café Nero are all using fthe clips. Other applications include buses and coaches, ferries and aircraft; and changing cubicles in shops and sports facilities. Visit www.selectamark.co.uk and https://www.chelseaclip.co.uk/
