Security experts ADT has joined forces with superfans of the top seven soaps to look at the break-ins and fires at each over the past 10 years.
The Queen Vic pub in EastEnders comes out as the most dangerous business in soapland, having seen nine break-ins and two fires in the past decade.
With the average break-in costing a business £13,570 and the average fire costing £3,000, this adds up to a huge £128,000.
By comparison, break-ins and fires at Chester-based the Loft in Hollyoaks, would have set its licensee Warren Fox back a total of £33,000 over the past 10 years.
Most targeted location
The Rovers Return in Coronation Street has only suffered one fire during the same period, which would have cost around £3,000 worth of damage.
Emmerdale’s beloved Woolpack pub came out as the most targeted location for break-ins on the soap because over the past decade, it has experienced three burglaries that would have cost the pub a total of £40,710.
ADT director of marketing Gail Hunter outlined the main reasons why these pubs have been targeted, and highlighted how taking further security measures could have prevented them.
She said: “Despite multiple disasters happening around them, soap business owners tend to be quite lax when it comes to their security.
“They often leave doors unlocked, fail to install fire alarms or invest in CCTV, intruder or fogging systems to protect their business – so it’s no wonder that the more malevolent characters like Nick Cotton from EastEnders, Silas Blissett in Hollyoaks and Tony Gordon in Coronation Street took advantage."
Locking the back door
She added: “But many of these thrilling storylines would have fallen flat if only the characters had taken some simply security measures – even just locking the back door would help.
“At ADT, we know that Brits love the drama of soaps, but we’d like to help the nation keep that drama firmly on-screen.
“That’s why our experts have compiled a list of hints and tips for how to keep your business safe.”
Ways to keep your business safe:
- Fireproof your pub. Sounds simple but did you know Emmerdale’s Woolpack doesn’t even have a spark guard on its fireplace.
- Regularly reviewing business protection needs – business fire and security requirements may be very different today than when it was installed.
- Mini-dome cameras can give an operator a 360° view of the entire premises. Though it may not fit in with the Edwardian décor, think of the heightened security options at the Rovers Return in Corrie.
- Locking valuables from prying eyes is a simple but effective method to reduce the risk of a break-in, especially where money is involved.
- Installing shutters to protect doors and windows out-of-hours is a time-honoured way of defending the pub.
- Only give keys or access codes to employees who really need them, limiting the number of keys/codes in circulation and reducing the chance of them falling into the wrong hands.