Hasselblad Pro Centre hit by armed gang raid

Photographic rental companies like their shelves to be empty; it usually means their stock is out on hire. Following a raid by an armed gang though, London rental company, Pro Centre, found its shelves cleared of a large proportion of the company’s Hasselblad H-System rental stock – though thankfully not the H3DII digital cameras which were out on rental.

While this could have had disastrous consequences for Pro Centre’s business, fortunately the company had registered the camera bodies under Hasselblad’s H-Care programme so the 15 H2 bodies that were stolen, which are no longer available to purchase new, can still be replaced under the H-care scheme. Pro Centre will, therefore, be able to continue renting H2 cameras to photographers who require them.

Simon Barnard, Managing Director, Hasselblad UK, commented: “Thefts of this kind are, thankfully, very unusual and in this case I am most relieved that no-one was seriously hurt. However, losing so much equipment could potentially have had disastrous commercial consequences. Fortunately, due to Hasselblad’s commitment to supporting existing H-System customers through the H-Care programme, owners of H-System cameras are not left ‘out in the cold’ if disaster should strike.

In the meantime, we would ask that if anyone is offered any Hasselblad H-System equipment under suspicious circumstances, please check the serial numbers with Pro Centre on +44 (0)20 7490 3122 or at www.procentre.co.uk.”

Full details of the H-Care programme can be found on www.hasselblad.com.