Surveillance makes music festival safe

August 2003 Surveillance

Organisers of this year’s Glastonbury music festival in Somerset, UK, turned to the power of CCTV technology to ensure the safest festival environment yet.

Residents of the picturesque village of Pilton, situated two miles from the festival's massive eight field site, demanded extra security to protect them against any potential vengeance of gatecrashers who were unable to break through the £1m `Super Fence'.

Don Wetherell, managing director of security installers Special Events Communications takes up the story: "With literally thousands of unpaying visitors breaking under or over the wall in 2000, Glastonbury Festivals Ltd was in serious breach of its Public Entertainment Licence, making massive investment in a more secure fence inevitable for the 2002 event. While the new 'Super Fence' kept unwanted visitors outside the festival perimeter, however, it also meant that Pilton became a victim of crime, perpetrated by frustrated festival goers thwarted by the wall."

In the lead up to the 2003 event, several measures were taken to defend the village, including a combination of private security companies, static 'road block' guards, mobile patrols, mobile CCTV units, CCTV and a heightened police presence.

The solution

Special Events Communications was selected to design and install a system where high quality images could be recorded for evidential purposes, and monitored and controlled from the on-site festival control room - a large tent in a farmer's field.

With no public underground service in Pilton and undulating terrain, there was no line-of-site for radio transmission. The only option to transmit camera images back to the tent, therefore, was via ISDN lines.

Due to the distances involved, six mini independent CCTV systems were created comprising of six Dedicated Micros DS2 digital multiplexers, 10 dome cameras, six ISDN lines and 10 Imigix video transmission units. Ten cameras were installed overlooking private houses and businesses such as the village post office, shop and pub.

Four control points were used to dial into the system. Camera domes were controlled remotely using transparent data to zoom in and out and adjust direction while pictures were replayed remotely using the DS2 multiplexer menu.

Wetherell added: "As the system obviously only had a very short but very crucial finite life span, it was critical that we specified the most reliable equipment on the market. With very straightforward operating procedures and user-friendly features such as instant playback, you can literally hit the ground running with a DS2 digital multiplex recorder. And with its high quality digital images, it has given the people of Pilton peace of mind again."

Special Events Communications also used a mobile CCTV van, fitted with a nine-channel DS2 mounted on its two masts where a PTZ colour/mono camera and a thermal image camera for tracking criminal activity at night in crime hot spots such as car parks.

The result

When rumours that more than 100 people were planning to literally storm the wall to enter the festival began to circulate, the police recruited the mobile van to help keep a watchful eye on the predicted point of entry from a hidden location. Observing from 700 m away, they could see all pedestrian and vehicle traffic and give accurate intelligence back to control of what was happening.

Phil Appleton, Village Manager and former police inspector commented: "2003 has gone down as one of the best Glastonbury's ever - thanks in no small part to the improved security measures both on site and in Pilton. We are confident that with all the security precautions now in place, the festival will keep going from strength to strength."

For more information contact RGB Technologies, 011 760 6437, or VisionLine, 011 538 7000.





Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

AI human detection cameras vs outdoor detectors
Provision ISR SA Surveillance
The advancement of technology has revolutionised many aspects of security systems, notably in the transition from traditional outdoor alarm detectors to modern, AI-based, human-detection IP cameras, which offer many benefits.

Read more...
Safeguarding farmland with digital solutions
Axis Communications SA Surveillance
Marlenique Estate, located in the Western Cape, opted for an Axis end-to-end solution to protect its premises with access management, remote monitoring, and property and asset protection.

Read more...
Cutting costs and enhancing security
Secutel Technologies Surveillance
[Sponsored] Visual verification, powered by the Secutel Visual Verifier, detects and verifies intrusions and physical attacks and ensures comprehensive protection in areas where high-value losses are at risk.

Read more...
Supercharge surveillance with AXIS Camera Station Pro
Surveillance Products & Solutions
Designed to put efficient surveillance at users’ fingertips with an intuitive interface that is easy to operate, AXIS Camera Station Pro 6.2 provides a customisable video management and access control solution for companies of all sizes.

Read more...
Easy, secure access for student apartments
Paxton Access Control & Identity Management Surveillance
Enhancing Security and Convenience at Beau Vie II Student Accommodation, a student apartment block located at Banghoek Road, Stellenbosch, with Paxton's access control and video management solution

Read more...
SMART Surveillance at the Indaba
SMART Security Solutions Editor's Choice Surveillance Videos
SMART Security Solutions hosted its second SMART Surveillance conference, focusing on a range of topics related to the video surveillance market, on July 11th, 2024, at the Indaba Conference Centre in Fourways.

Read more...
Horn speakers from Sunell
Forbatt SA Products & Solutions Surveillance Residential Estate (Industry)
Horn speakers are an effective tool for actively deterring intruders from entering estates. By emitting loud, clear audio warnings, horn speakers can alert trespassers that they have been detected and are being monitored.

Read more...
Sunell’s range of thermal cameras
Forbatt SA Products & Solutions Surveillance Residential Estate (Industry)
Thermal cameras offer significant value to estate security. Their ability to provide reliable surveillance in all lighting and weather conditions ensures continuous monitoring, providing a constant sense of security and reducing the likelihood of security breaches.

Read more...
Integrating radar and surveillance
Forbatt SA Products & Solutions Surveillance Residential Estate (Industry)
Integrating radar with CCTV video systems significantly enhances estate security by providing long-range threat detection and comprehensive monitoring capabilities. This combination leverages the strengths of both technologies, offering several key benefits.

Read more...
Sunell anti-corrosion cameras
Forbatt SA Products & Solutions Surveillance Residential Estate (Industry)
With Sunell’s anti-corrosion range of cameras, the initial investment in anti-corrosion CCTV cameras may be higher than standard cameras, but the long-term benefits outweigh the upfront costs.

Read more...