TWO vans full of police in helmets and armour battered down doors in a block of flats in the city yesterday.
But these were raids with a difference – there was nothing inside the police wanted.
They were part of a training exercise to find the best way of battering down new doors that are set to be fitted to council homes across the city.
More than 30,000 new doors will be installed to Nottingham City Homes' properties over the next two years to replace the old wooden ones.
The new doors help homes stay warm and are also much more secure than the old models as they have reinforced frames and are thicker. They are made of reinforced uPVC.
But while they may be better at keeping the warm in and would-be burglars out, the police needed to suss out a quick way of getting in during a raid.
So, a team of officers took up battering rams and other tools and tested the best way to smash the new doors down at Digby Court, one of the blocks of flats off Derby Road, Lenton, which are due to be demolished.
Police Sergeant Gary Pestka said: "We have already attempted to break down a similar style of door during a raid and it took a number of attempts with an enforcer, which gave the suspects due warning we had arrived.
"From a security point of view, for the majority of law-abiding Nottingham City Homes' tenants, these doors are a fantastic addition to their homes.
"But we have to unfortunately, in certain circumstances, consider the need to get in to homes fitted with the new doors."
And after a few loud thuds and a few other tools being used against the doors, the officers found a relatively easy way of getting through the thick doors.
Nick Murphy, chief executive of Nottingham City Homes, said the plans to replace the doors was a result of feedback from tenants.
He said: "Tenants told us that having a secure and warm home was at the top of their list of priorities.
"We have listened to our tenants and in response we are rolling out our door replacement programme across the city."
The organisations recent Secure Warm Modern programme saw old windows replaced with brand new secure units. As a result there has been a 58 per cent drop in burglary to council properties across the city.
Mr Murphy added: "Our Secure Warm Modern programme has made huge strides in creating homes and places where people want to live, and making our estates safer for our tenants."
