A LOCKING mechanism designed and manufactured in Worcestershire is set to provide a new solution for preventing up to £80bn of cargo going missing every year. It could also be used to tackle the thorny problem of illegal immigrants hiding on trans-continental lorries.

E-Containerlock, which is the brainchild of Andrew Harrison and Wayne Cressman, directors of Guardfreight in Droitwich, can be fitted to all types of shipping containers, roller shutter doors, trailer barn doors and bulk liquid tankers and overcomes a number of the security flaws experienced by conventional locks. It also features a unique, in-built GPRS tracking system that provides location updates and immediate alerts if entry is forced. The innovative product has just completed nine months of testing and global trials, with more than 300 journeys across the US, Asia, Africa, South America and Europe made with E-Containerlock fitted.

Mr Harrison explained: “There are numerous ways of breaking into shipping containers, taking the contents and then closing them so it doesn’t look like they’ve been tampered with. We knew we could come up with a universal solution that would help tackle this issue. The E-Containerlock is fitted in seconds and offers a host of security benefits, including wrap around fitting, hub shield and extended housing that prevents tampering, handle rotation and left hand door opening respectively.

“The innovation comes in the multiple sensors and GPRS technology that are built into the device. This gives clients the chance to monitor their cargo at any point of the journey and also receive alerts if the container is opened or tampered with. This is ideal for preventing theft of goods and for proving the exact place where the incident has occurred. It also ensures freight integrity from the time the locking mechanism was fitted to the time it is removed.”

The management team at Guardfreight also believe its system could be used for tackling illegal immigrants, as the operator will know the moment a lock on any trailer or even a curtainside has been breached.

Pre-release interest has seen a number of devices delivered and trialled by potential customers and resellers from the America and Mexico to Africa, Europe and the Middle East.