1. Introduction
The UK is the heaviest user of ammonium and ammonium nitrate-based fertilisers in the world and since the 1970s, nitrogenous fertilisers have been misused to make home-made explosives. The blending, storage, transport and use of fertilisers is commonplace, especially in the farming community. Unfortunately, this creates opportunities for terrorists to steal and use these materials as weapons.
Anyone who stores or handles fertilisers, must secure it to prevent it from being stolen. This covers a range of people from importers and manufacturers to hauliers and farmers. Regardless of the amount, all have responsibility to take appropriate security measures and be vigilant.
Individuals should think about:
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restricting access to the fertiliser or the building where it is stored
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making sure a trespasser would be visible if they carried out a crime
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making the site as resistant as possible to criminal activity.
These can be achieved by simple low-cost measures, such as storing your fertiliser in a secure barn or, if it is in an open-sided barn, covering it with a tarpaulin. You should also remove or trim hedges or bushes around the barn and keep gates locked.
