"But the one thing that does stay the same is the fantastic quality of the security team that helps keep the University students and staff safe and secure."

Alan is not one to give out praise lightly. His previous experience includes four years in charge of the Local Guard Force of the United States Embassy in London, as well as overseas security experience obtained in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Yet he describes the University of Leeds security team as "first class".

"My Security Operations Manager, Malcolm Dawson, leads a team of 36 Security Officers - including mobile units and dog handling teams - who are on duty 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Approximately half of the team have previous military or police experience. Crime prevention is another really important part of the job, and our Crime Prevention Officer, Andy Gordon-Platt, works extremely hard helping our students to look after their personal safety and keep their accommodation and property secure."

As well as a top class team, Alan was delighted to find that the University's CCTV control room was more than a match for larger organisations with which he's been involved. "I've worked extensively in financial organisations in the City of London and, with 180 cameras positioned all over campus and estates, the University's £700,000 CCTV security system can easily rival their equipment."

 "I'm really excited to be here and, in keeping with the University's strategy, my own aim for next year is to have the best security team of any Russell Group university. There are some key indicators that will help us monitor our progress - such as decreasing rates of burglary and theft - so we'll be able to tell if we're being successful in bringing crime down in and around the University. I'm also part of the University Association of Chief Security Officers, which will help us compare how we're doing and whether we're achieving our objective. With such a fantastic team and great facilities, I'm confident that we can reach our goal."