A COMPANY which ensures the safety of Wimbledon tennis spectators has extended its system in time for this year’s championships.

Current Thinking has extended its VoCall system, developed and manufactured in the North-East, to the refurbished court number two at the London tennis venue.

The system combines fire warning telephones, disabled refuge points and disabled toilet alarms so that emergency services can locate and reassure people who cannot easily use usual methods of evacuation during an emergency situation.

Although the system was installed in other parts of the famous venue last year the Sunderland-based company had not been able to carry out the work on court number two.

Current Thinking managing director Anthony Smith said: “Most of our system was installed in time for last year’s tournament, but at that time court number two was under refurbishment.

“It is now being brought back into use and will be covered by VoCall.”

He added: “We were delighted when we were asked to play a part in the Wimbledon redevelopment project and we developed a system specifically to meet the needs of a venue which, during the Wimbledon tournament, attracts about half a million spectators.”

Among a number of highprofile buildings and companies equipped with the company’s systems are the Channel Tunnel terminal, at St Pancras, in London, and the Burj Dubai Tower, in Dubai, which will eventually stand at 2,200ft.

The Wimbledon tennis tournament starts on Monday.