Passengers using Stoke-on-Trent railway station can now travel with added peace of mind after Securiscape installed two blast-resistant litter bins as part of a major make-over.
The bins have been sited outside the front of the railway station, which has undergone a major redevelopment as part of the city’s wider £29 million regeneration of gateway area leading to the centre of Stoke.
The work includes wider pavements, improved pedestrian crossings, upgraded cycle lanes and improved bus-and-taxi vehicle access, as well as major works to replace large timber-framed glazed ends on the Grade II-listed station too.
Although litter bins are essential to everyday life, they have posed a potential risk in the past, having been used as a place to hide bombs during terrorism attacks in the 1990s.
The last such incident took place in 1993, but security concerns surrounding bins continue, which is why our bins are engineered to withstand explosions and limit shrapnel, protecting the public while remaining practical and unobtrusive.
In fact, our bins have undergone fully two years’ worth of testing at a Government-approved test centre and have earned the maximum 10-star rating under the Home Office standard “determination of the explosive resistance of litter and recycling bins”.
This is the standard recommended by the UK Government and it is supported by the CPNI.
Mark Stone, managing director of Securiscape, said: “Many people can still remember the days when litter bins were removed from UK railway stations, because of fears of how they could be used to hide explosive devices.
“While this made the stations safer, it caused inconvenience to passengers and cleanliness issues, so these bins offer the ideal solution by encouraging a litter-free environment while protecting members of the public as they come and go from the station.”
