A REVOLUTIONARY new kind of burglar alarm has thwarted three attempted burglaries in the Northwich area.

The 'Smoke Screen' system, which releases a disorientating vapour, has this month foiled two raids on Rudheath Social Club, and one on Winnington Rec.

The system has been around since the 1970s, but has only recently been marketed. Smoke Screen UK's north west base is in Kingsley.

Co-director David Jackson said: "We have had some great successes in the Northwich area, and we are looking to expand into Winsford.

"The aim of Smoke Screen is to cut out the repeated victimisation of businesses and leisure areas."

The smoke is an otherwise-harmless liquid called dipropylene glycol, which when triggered by a sensor, emerges into the atmosphere as tiny droplets of water vapour.

While it doesn't harm either humans or property, it clouds the room in six seconds flat, so that the offender can't see much further than his or her own arm.

"Six seconds is a crucial amount of time in the average burglary," said Mr Jackson.

"These things are well-planned, and in six seconds the culprits can make their way around the room. In 20, they can have got hold of the computers or other items they want, and be halfway to stealing them."

There are currently six businesses in Northwich using Smoke Screen, and the company is talking to three Winsford firms about installing the system.

Rudheath Social Club's Ann Condliffe described the system as "brilliant."

She added: "The thieves managed to get a phone in the first break-in, but the vital thing was that they couldn't get to the fruit machines.

"In the second one, they got nothing. It's so effective."

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.