The present invention relates to a fence panel, more specifically a fence panel comprising a front panel and a plurality of reinforcing panels. The fence panel according to the present invention may be used for security purposes, to prevent intruders breaching certain areas and in particular, to increase the time that it would take for an intruder to breach the fence panel.

GB2584460 discloses a security fence panel comprising perpendicular security mesh sheets that are spaced apart in use and are connected by intermediate sheets which are inclined to the horizontal. The intermediate sheets may be connected loosely, via a spiral connector, to the security mesh sheets to allow relative movement between them, allowing the panel to be collapsed for storage. The intermediate sheets may be inclined at an angle to the security mesh sheets.

EP3775440 discloses a fencing mesh assembly comprising a front mesh panel, a rear mesh panel and several cross mesh panels, wherein the cross mesh panels are arranged between and are connected to the front mesh panel and the rear mesh panel, and are distributed over the front mesh panel and over the rear mesh panel.

These arrangements of the art typically include a front mesh panel and a rear mesh panel that extends parallel to the front mesh panel, which increases the overall weight and cost of the fence, as well as allowing debris to accumulate between the front and rear mesh panels. There remains a need for a fence panel which is more cost-effective and light-weight, without compromising the time it would take for an attacker to breach the fence panel (the delay time).

US10364589 discloses a barrier which includes a first mesh panel with spaced horizontally extending reinforcing formations, and at least one second mesh panel positioned between two of the reinforcing formations.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a fence panel that is strong and is effective against intruders such that there is an increased delay time (i.e. the time required for an attacker to breach the fence panel). In particular, the fence panel should withstand attack against an intruder for several minutes, for example at least five minutes as stipulated in ASTM F2781 norm for aggressive testing.

A further object of the present invention is to provide fencing that is suitable for use as a security fence with enhanced anti-climb and anti-grind properties. According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fence panel comprising a front panel and a plurality of reinforcing panels, wherein the plurality of reinforcing panels comprises one or more first reinforcing panels connected to a first side of the front panel and extending away therefrom and one or more second reinforcing panels extending away from the first side of the front panel, wherein each of the one or more second reinforcing panels is connected to at least two of the first reinforcing panels.

It has surprisingly been found that a much greater time is required for an attacker to breach and/or penetrate the fence panel when the fence panel comprises a plurality of reinforcing panels in accordance with the present invention, thereby providing an increased delay time for an intruder to cut through the fence. Non-limiting examples of cutting tools for this purpose are hand and/or power cutting tools, such as a grinder.

A fence panel according to the present invention is therefore light-weight and cost effective, whilst maintaining an increased delay time for any intruders trying to breach the fence. Further, the front panel offers no climbing aids for intruders, as the reinforcing panels are only on one side thereof.

The second reinforcing panels act to maintain the first reinforcing panels in position, such that they cannot be easily bent or moved by an attacker. Additionally, as the second reinforcing panels connect the first reinforcing panels and extend away from the first side of the front panel, they must be positioned at an angle to the first reinforcing panels. The presence of both the first and second reinforcing panels behind the front panel, extending along its surface at different angles provides additional barriers for a potential attacker, thereby reducing the area of the front panel that is not intersected by a reinforcing panel.

In order to breach the fence panel of the present invention, an intruder must cut away a portion of the front panel and then cut the reinforcing panels. Due to this arrangement of the reinforcing panels, only a small portion of the front panel can be removed. Once a portion has been removed, the arrangement of the reinforcing panels means that it is difficult to use a cutting tool to subsequently cut the reinforcing panels.

The term “fence panel” is to be construed in accordance with the normal use of the word to relate to a panel that can be used in combination with fence posts to create a fence. The fence panel is therefore not self-supporting and instead, is used to create a fence or other barrier with some form of support. The front panel, the one or more first reinforcing panels and/or the one or more second reinforcing panels may be mesh panels. Accordingly, the front panel, the one or more first reinforcing panels and/or the one or more second reinforcing panels may comprise a plurality of intersecting wires connected together to form a mesh.

The mesh of the one or more first reinforcing panels and/or of the one or more second reinforcing panels may be the same as the mesh of the front panel. This increases the ease of construction and provides a simpler, more cost-effective arrangement.

The term “mesh” is to be construed to cover a sheet of intersecting solid wires that are interconnected to create apertures. The mesh may comprise a plurality of wires extending in a first direction and a plurality of wires extending in a second direction, such that at least some of the wires in the first direction intersect at least some of the wires in the second direction, or each of the wires in the first direction intersects each of the wires in the second direction. The first direction may be a vertical direction. The second direction may be a horizontal direction, or may be perpendicular to the first direction.

The one or more second reinforcing panels may be in contact with and/or connected to the first side of the front panel. The connection can comprise welding, a coil, a ring, a clip or another suitable connecting means. This connection between the front panel and the second reinforcing panel can further increase delay time.

The first reinforcing panel(s) and/or the second reinforcing panel(s) may be perpendicular to the front panel. This arrangement has been found to result in a strong and stable fence panel that can withstand attack and increase the delay time, as well as being easy to assemble. This is particularly true in the situation where the intruder uses hand and/or powered cutting tools, with the arrangement making it difficult for the intruder to reach the reinforcing panels with the cutting tools even after the front panel has been breached.

The one or more first reinforcing panels may be planar and may be rectangular. The front panel may have a plurality, preferably more than two, first reinforcing panels connected thereto. A plurality of first reinforcing panels may be parallel to one another. All of the first reinforcing panels may be parallel to one another. The one or more first reinforcing panels may be vertical or horizontal panels. This arrangement is easy to construct from the component parts. The one or more second reinforcing panels may be planar. The plurality of first reinforcing panels may consist of all of the panels that extend parallel to one another in a first direction and the plurality of second reinforcing panels may consist of all of the panels that extend parallel to one another in a second direction.

The one or more second reinforcing panels may be perpendicular to the one or more first reinforcing panels. In an embodiment in which the one or more first reinforcing panels are vertical panels, the one or more second reinforcing panels are horizontal panels. The one or more first reinforcing panels may be connected along an edge thereof to a face of one or more second reinforcing panels.

The one or more second reinforcing panels may extend along the top and/or the bottom of the first reinforcing panels. Thus, the top and/or bottom edges of the first reinforcing panels may be connected to one or more second reinforcing panel. The one or more second reinforcing panels may extend along substantially the entire length of the front panel (i.e. above 85% of the length of the front panel). There may only be one second reinforcing panel connected to more than two of the first reinforcing panels, preferably to all of the first reinforcing panels. This may run along the top of the first reinforcing panels.

There is preferably only one front panel in the fence panel.

The first reinforcing panels may be shorter in one direction than the length of the front panel in the corresponding direction. For example, the height of the first reinforcing panels might be shorter than the height of the front panel. Thus, the first reinforcing panels may not reach the top of the front panel. The first reinforcing panels are preferably positioned at the same level on the front panel.

Alternatively, the one or more second reinforcing panels may connect to a first reinforcing panel at an angle of between 20 and 70 degrees. This range of angles means that the regions of the front panel that are not protected by a reinforcing panel are small, thereby reducing the space through which an attacker can cut easily. Angles of more than 20 degrees ensure that the connection means between the first reinforcing panel and the front panel does not interfere with the connection between the second reinforcing panel and the first reinforcing panel. Angles of less than 70 degrees ensure that the second reinforcing panel effectively traverses a greater portion of the front panel. The one or more second reinforcing panels may be connected along an edge thereof to a face of one or more first reinforcing panels at the necessary angle. It is to be understood that in order to connect at least two first reinforcing panels, the second reinforcing panel extends between the at least two first reinforcing panels and is connected to each of them.

The one or more second reinforcing panels may comprise a bend. The one or more second reinforcing panels may comprise two or more bends, preferably three or more bends. The one or more second reinforcing panels comprising at least one bend make the fence panel highly resistant to cutting tools, as a single panel protects a wider area of the front panel. Thus, this arrangement increases the delay time for any possible intruders to penetrate the fence panel, as it increases the difficulty for the intruder to reach the one or more first and/or second reinforcing panels with cutting means after the front panel has been breached.

In preferred embodiments, the angle between the first and second reinforcing panel is preferably in the range of 30 to 60 degrees, more preferably 40 to 50 degrees. Preferably, the angle between every first and second reinforcing panel is between 20 and 70 degrees, preferably 30 to 60 degrees, more preferably 40 to 50 degrees.

It has surprisingly been found that a much greater time is required for an attacker to breach the fence panel when the angle between the first and second reinforcing panel is in the range of 30 to 60 degrees, more preferably 40 to 50 degrees, as this minimises the space available for the attacker to cut, thereby increasing the difficulty of breaching the fence panel. It has also been found that angles outside of the aforementioned ranges can impede the connecting means, such as a spiral coil, that connects the reinforcing panels to the front panel.

At least a portion of the second reinforcing panel may run parallel to at least a portion of the first reinforcing panel. These portions of the first and second reinforcing panels can abut one another, thereby creating a double layer of reinforcing panels. There may be a plurality of portions of a first reinforcing panel that run parallel to and abut a second reinforcing panel. There may be a plurality of portions of the first reinforcing panel that run parallel to and abut portions of the same second reinforcing panel.

Thus, the second reinforcing panel may be in contact with the first reinforcing panel at multiple points along the length of the first and second reinforcing panels. The portions of the first reinforcing panel that contact the second reinforcing panel may be evenly spaced down the length of the first reinforcing panel. The inventors have found that having at least a portion of the first and second reinforcing panels running parallel and abutting one another (i.e. the double layer portion) improves the strength of the fence panel and increases the difficulty of breaching the panel with cutting means.

Thus, the one or more bends in the second reinforcing panel can be at the angle created by the connection of the first reinforcing panel to the second reinforcing panel, i.e. can be between 20 and 70 degrees, preferably between 30 and 60 degrees. This means that a portion of the second reinforcing panel can run parallel to and abut the first reinforcing panel and then the bend creates the necessary angle between the first and second reinforcing panels.

Further, the size of the spacings result in apertures that are too small for an attacker to easily gain a foothold, even once a portion of the front panel has been removed, thereby additionally providing anti-climb properties.

A first reinforcing panel may be connected to a second reinforcing panel on a first side thereof and may be adjacent to another first reinforcing panel on a second side thereof, without a second reinforcing panel on the second side. The second reinforcing panel may extend between and may be connected to two first reinforcing panels. This can create a unit of three reinforcing panels, with a second reinforcing panel located between two first reinforcing panels, that can be repeated along the length of the front panel.

Thus, a first reinforcing panel may be adjacent to another first reinforcing panel absent a second reinforcing panel between them and/or may be adjacent to another first reinforcing panel that is connected to a second reinforcing panel that extends between them. This may be the case for each first reinforcing panel in the fence panel, other than those at the ends of the fence panel.

The first reinforcing panel may have a first spacing between two adjacent first reinforcing panels absent a second reinforcing panel between them and a second spacing between two adjacent reinforcing panels that have a second reinforcing panel between them, wherein the first spacing is smaller than the second spacing.

This spacing has been found to make the fence extremely difficult for the intruder to cut and subsequently breach, thereby increasing the delay time for any possible intruders. In embodiments in which the second reinforcing panels meet the first reinforcing panels at an angle of between 20 and 70 degrees, the smallest distance between the portions of the second reinforcing panel(s) that extend between the first reinforcing panels may be between 200 and 300 mm, preferably between 220 and 280mm. The angle at which these portions of the second reinforcing panels meet the first reinforcing panels means that an attacker cannot easily reach the portion of the first side of the front panel at which there is an acute angle directly under the second panel and next to the first reinforcing panel.

Thus, the rectangular portion of the front panel formed between the adjacent first reinforcing panels connected by a second reinforcing panel that is not intersected by a second reinforcing panel is preferably between 200 and 300 mm, more preferably between 220 and 280mm in the dimension parallel to the first reinforcing panels. This rectangular portion is also preferably between 70 and 200 mm, preferably between 120 and 180 mm in the dimension perpendicular to the first reinforcing panels.

The distance between adjacent parallel first reinforcing panels may be 70 to 200 mm, preferably between 120 and 180 mm.

The front panel and/or plurality of reinforcing panels may comprise vertical and horizontal wires. It will be understood that vertical is defined relative to the surface on which the fence panel is to be positioned, which defines the horizontal.

The first set of wires in the mesh fence panel and/or the plurality of reinforcing panels may be vertical wires. The second set of wires in the mesh fence panel and/or the plurality of reinforcing panels may be horizontal wires. The first set of wires consist of all wires extending parallel in a first direction and the second set of wires may consist of all wires extended parallel in a second direction.

More than 90% of the wires in a first set of wires of the mesh front panel may be either connected to a first reinforcing panel or traversed by a second reinforcing panel. Preferably, every wire in a first set of wires of the mesh front panel may be either connected to a first reinforcing panel or traversed by a second reinforcing panel.

In some embodiments, 50% or more of the wires in a first set of wires of the mesh front panel may be connected to a first reinforcing panel, particularly when the second reinforcing panels are perpendicular to the first reinforcing panels. Thus, every other parallel wire (e.g. every other vertical wire) in the front panel may be connected to a first reinforcing panel. In some embodiments, more than 90% of the wires in a first set of wires of the mesh front panel may be traversed by a second reinforcing panel. These arrangements have surprisingly been found to increase the difficulty of breaching the fence panel, thereby increasing the delay time.

One or more of the one or more second reinforcing panels may only traverse one wire that is not connected to a first reinforcing panel, particularly in embodiments in which the second reinforcing panels meet the first reinforcing panels at an angle of between 20 and 70 degrees. This minimises the potential space available for cutting tools such that an attacker cannot easily penetrate the fence.

Preferably the front panel and/or the plurality of reinforcing panels are formed from wire having a core diameter of less than 4 mm, preferably less than 3.5 mm and more preferably about 3 mm.

Wires of such diameters have been found to vibrate under attack by a grinding tool and have sufficient strength to resist attack by tools such as bolt cutters, thereby increasing the time required for an intruder to breach the fence.

The spacing between the wires of the plurality of reinforcing panels may be different to the spacing between the wires of the front panel. The spacing between the wires of the plurality of reinforcing panels may be the same as the spacing between the wires of the front panel.

The spacing between the second set of wires in the reinforcing panels may be larger than the spacing between the second set of wires in the front panel. Thus, the spacing between the horizontal wires of the reinforcing panels may be larger than the spacing between the horizonal wires of the front panel. The spacing between the first set of wires in the reinforcing panels may be the same as the spacing between the second set of wires in the front panel. The spacing between the second set of wires in the reinforcing panels may be the same as the spacing between the first set of wires in the front panel.

Preferably, the spacing between the second set of wires in the front panel and/or between the first set of wires in the reinforcing panels is 30 mm or less, preferably 20 mm or less, more preferably 13 mm or less. Preferably, the spacing between the second set of wires in the front panel and/or between the first set of wires in the reinforcing panels is 5 mm or more, preferably 10 mm or more. Thus, the spacing between the horizontal wires in the front panel and/or the spacing between the vertical wires in the reinforcing panels may be between 5 and 30 mm, preferably between 10 and 20 mm. Preferably, the spacing between the first set of wires in the front panel and/or between the second set of wires in the reinforcing panels is 100 mm or less, preferably 90 mm or less, most preferably 80 mm or less. Preferably, the spacing between the first set of wires in the front panel and/or between the second set of wires in the reinforcing panels is 60 mm or more, preferably 70 mm or more. Thus, the spacing between the vertical wires in the front panel and/or the spacing between the horizontal wires in the reinforcing panels may be between 60 and 100 mm, preferably between 70 and 90 mm.

The front panel may have a first spacing between adjacent horizontal wires and a second spacing between adjacent vertical wires which is larger than the first spacing.

The reinforcing panels may have a first spacing between adjacent horizontal wires and a second spacing between adjacent vertical wires which is smaller than the first spacing.

The wires may be made from steel, preferably a high tensile steel with a weld strength of 50% and a tensile strength of at least 400 N/mm ² .

The width (i.e. the dimension extending away from the fence panel) of the one or more first reinforcing panels and the one or more second reinforcing panels may be the same. The width of the one or more first reinforcing panels and the one or more second reinforcing panels may be different.

The one or more first reinforcing panels, and optionally also the one or more second reinforcing panels, may be loosely connected to the front panel. The one or more first reinforcing panels, and optionally also the one or more second reinforcing panels, may be loosely connected to the front panel using connecting means. The connecting means may for example be a spiral coil.

It has been found that a much greater time is required for an attacker to breach the fence when the one or more first and/or second reinforcing panels are loosely connected to the front panel, for example with a spiral coil. The spiral coil may move out of position due to the vibrations caused by the attacker trying to breach the security fence panel, which can cause the fence panels to jitter against the cutting edge of the grinder disc. This increases delay time and can even cause the grinder disk to shatter. The coil also provides additional material through which an attacker must cut in order to breach the fence, thereby further increasing delay time.

The one or more second reinforcing panels may be connected to the one or more first reinforcing panels via welding, a coil, a ring, a clip or another suitable connecting means. Preferably, the connecting means is a loose connecting means i.e. the connecting means allows for a degree of movement. This connection may be at or towards the side of the reinforcing panels away from the front panel. This makes it more difficult for the intruder to penetrate the one or more first and/or second reinforcing panels, as the connecting means may move due to the vibrations caused by the attacker trying to breach the security fence panel, allowing the fence panels to vibrate.

The one or more second reinforcing panels may also be connected to the one or more first reinforcing panels using the connecting means that connects the first reinforcing panel to the front panel, such as a coil. This provides a cost-effective and simple way in which to hold the reinforcing panels together.

The fence panel may further comprise a ceramic rod at an end of one or more of the one or more first and/or second reinforcing panels, opposite that closest to the front panel. Preferably, the ceramic rod(s) are positioned along the end of the first reinforcing panel, away from the front panel. A ceramic rod may be found at an end of each first and/or second reinforcing panel opposite that closest to the front panel. This can further increase the delay time, as any attacker needs to cut through the ceramic rod as well as the panels.

The fence panel may be absent a back panel (i.e. a panel extending parallel to and not away from the front panel). This has been found to help reduce the overall weight of the fence panel compared to conventional fences that comprise reinforcing panels in the art, which typically comprise both a front fence panel and a back fence panel. The fence panel according to the present invention therefore provides a more light-weight, cost-effective approach, without compromising on delay time.

Further, in some arrangements in the art, the presence of a back panel has been found to allow debris to pile up at the bottom of the back panel and in the space between the front panel and the back panel, which is undesirable and is not seen in the fence panel of the present invention. A bottom portion of the fence panel may be embedded in concrete. Thus, a bottom portion of the front panel and a bottom portion of the first reinforcing panels may be embedded in concrete. The concrete may extend below the level of the ground on which the fence is positioned. The fence posts may also be embedded in the concrete. This improves the strength of the fence, as it means that the fence cannot be breached by simply cutting the front panel. Additionally, each of the first reinforcing panels then acts to hold the front panel up, in the same manner as a fence post.

The fence panel may be absent a bottom panel (i.e. a panel extending along the bottom of the first reinforcing panels, away from the front panel).

The fence panel preferably meets the tests outlined in ASTM F2781-15. The fence panel may meet the test for the medium threat (battery angle disk grinder with delay entry above 10 minutes) and/or the test for the aggressive threat (a variety of tools such as gas-powered saw and electric disk grinder, with delay entry above 5 minutes).

A fence panel according to the present invention therefore provides a sufficiently strong fence panel with reduced cost of materials compared to fence panels comprising a front panel, reinforcing panels and a back panel. This helps reduce the overall weight of the fence panel and minimises undesirable debris build up.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of creating a fence panel discussed above comprising connecting a first reinforcing panel to a front panel, connecting a second reinforcing panel to the first reinforcing panel, such that both the first reinforcing panel and the second reinforcing panel extend away from the first side of the front panel and connecting the second reinforcing panel to another first reinforcing panel.

These steps can be done in any order, such that the reinforcing panels may be connected together before they are connected to the front panel. Alternatively, the first reinforcing panel may be connected to the front panel before the second reinforcing panels are connected thereto.

The second reinforcing panels may also be connected to the front panel. This may be via the same connecting means that connect the first reinforcing panel to the front panel. The first reinforcing panel and the second reinforcing panel may have additional connections to one another, which are preferably applied after they have been connected to the front panel. Thus, the present invention provides a simple and cost effective way in which to create a fence panel that has an improved delay time.

According to a third aspect, there is provided a fence comprising one or more fence panels as discussed above and two ore more fence posts. Preferably, each fence panel is at least partially supported by two fence posts. The surface on which the fence is positioned does not directly support the entire weight of the fence panel.

The fence panels may be connected to the fence posts by tamper-proof fastenings. The fence panels may contact the surface on which the fence is positioned, or there may be a gap between the bottom of the fence panel and the surface on which the fence is positioned.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a kit for creating a fence panel discussed above, comprising a front panel, one or more first reinforcing panels, one or more second reinforcing panels and a connection means, optionally further comprising two or more fence posts. There may be different connection means to connect the first reinforcing panels and the front panel compared to connecting the first and second reinforcing panels.

All of the embodiments of the earlier aspects of the invention apply equally to the later aspects of the invention.

The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the following examples and figures, in which;

Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a portion of a fence panel in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 illustrates a front elevation view of the fence panel of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 illustrates a perspective view of the rear of a portion of the fence panel of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 illustrates a top plan view of a portion of the fence panel of Figure 1 ;

Figures 5A and 5B illustrate a magnified view of a portion of the fence of Figure 1 , showing the connection of the first and second reinforcing panels with the front panel; Figure 6 illustrates a perspective view of a portion of an alternative fence panel in accordance with the present invention; and

Figure 7 illustrates a top plan view of a portion of the fence panel of Figure 6.

Referring to Figure 1 , a portion of a fence panel (100) is shown according to the invention. The fence panel (100) includes a mesh front panel (101) and a plurality of reinforcing panels including first reinforcing panels (102) and second reinforcing panels (103). The fence panel (101) and the reinforcing panels (102, 103) comprise vertical (101a, 102a, 103a) and horizontal wires (102b, 102b, 103b) that intersect and are welded together.

The plurality of reinforcing panels (102, 103) are all located on one surface of the front panel (101) and extend perpendicularly away from the mesh front panel (101). The first reinforcing panels (102) and the second reinforcing panels (103) are connected to the front panel (101) using coils (104), which is more clearly shown in Figures 5A and 5B.

The wires of the front panel (101a, 101b) and reinforcing panels (102a, 102b, 103a, 103b) are formed from high tensile steel with a weld strength of 50% and a tensile strength of 400 N/mm ² . The core diameter of all of the vertical and horizontal wires (101a, 101b, 102a, 102b, 103a, 103b) is 3 mm.

The first reinforcing panels (102) are planar and perpendicular to the front panel (101). The second reinforcing panels (103) are perpendicular to the front panel (101) and comprise several bends over their length. As can be seen in Figure 1 , the bends in the second reinforcing panel (103) allow the second reinforcing panel (103) to extend between two parallel first reinforcing panels (102), thereby traversing a vertical wire (101a) in the front panel (101).

This structure enhances the strength and rigidity of the fence panel, and the presence of bends has been found to make the fence panel highly resistant to cutting tools. Further, the presence of bends reduces the amount of space available for the intruder to cut and create an opening that would be easy to pass through, thereby increasing delay time.

The first reinforcing panels (102) and the second reinforcing panels (103) meet to create an angle of about 45 degrees, created by the bends in the second reinforcing panel (103). Every vertical wire of the mesh front panel (101) is connected to a first reinforcing panel (102) or is traversed by a second reinforcing panel (103). The resulting angle ensures that there is space for the coil (104) between the first and second reinforcing panels, whilst also minimising the space available for the intruder to cut.

A plurality of portions of the second reinforcing panel (103) run parallel with and abut portions of the first reinforcing panel (102), thereby creating a double layer (shown more clearly in Figure 3). Therefore, the first reinforcing panel (102) has a plurality of sections that create a double layer with the second reinforcing panel (103) and a plurality of sections wherein the first reinforcing panel (102) is not in contact with a second reinforcing panel (103). It is the portions of the second reinforcing panel (103) that abut the first reinforcing panel (102) that are connected to the front panel (101) via the coil (104).

The spacing between two first reinforcing panels (102) without a second reinforcing panel (103) between them is smaller than the spacing between two first reinforcing panels (102) that have a second reinforcing panel (103) between them.

In order to penetrate the fence panel according to the present invention shown in Figure 1 , the intruder would firstly have to remove a plurality of sections from the front panel (101). Due to the arrangement of the first reinforcing panels (102) and second reinforcing panels (103) and the use of a coil (104), the regions available for the intruder to cut and remove are minimised, and so only small regions can be cut.

Secondly, the intruder would need to cut the reinforcing panels (102, 103) which is extremely difficult due to the narrow spacings provided in the fence panel according to the present invention. In addition, the bends present in the second reinforcing panel (103) make it difficult for the intruder to access the first side of the front panel (101) with a cutting tool. Furthermore, the portions of double layered reinforcing panels (102, 103) in the fence panel (100) enhance the difficulty of cutting the wires and breaching the fence.

Figure 2 shows a rear view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1. As in Figure 1 , this embodiment is absent of a back panel.

Referring to Figure 3, a perspective view of the fence according to Figure 1 can be seen. The first reinforcing panels (102) and the second reinforcing panels (103) can be clearly seen to be perpendicular to the front panel (101). The reinforcing panels (102, 103) are arranged in repeating units, each repeating unit comprising a second reinforcing panel (103) extending between and connected to two first reinforcing panels (102). The spacing between two first reinforcing panels (102) without a second reinforcing panel (103) between them is smaller than the spacing between first reinforcing panels (102) that have a second reinforcing panel (103) between them. The second reinforcing panels (103) are bent, such that a single second reinforcing panel (103) runs parallel to and abuts a first first reinforcing panel (102), extends away therefrom at an angle of around 45 degrees and then bends again in order to run parallel to and abut a second first reinforcing panel (102).

The first reinforcing panel (102) and the second reinforcing panel (103) are both connected to the front panel (101) by a coil (104). Additional connection means (not shown) will connect the first reinforcing panel (102) and the second reinforcing panel (103) at the edge away from the front panel (101).

Referring to Figure 4, a top plan view of a portion of the fence of the embodiment of Figure 1 is shown. As can be seen in Figure 4, the spiral coil (104) provides a loose connection between the first reinforcing panel (102), the second reinforcing panel (103) and the front panel (101).

Every vertical wire (101a) in the front mesh panel (101) is either connected to a first reinforcing panel (102) or is traversed by a second reinforcing panel (103). The second reinforcing panels (103) only traverse one wire, which is not connected to a first reinforcing panel (102).

Figure 5a and Figure 5b provide magnified views to illustrate the connection between the first reinforcing panel (102), the second reinforcing panel (103) and the front panel (101). The front panel (101), the first reinforcing panel (102) and the portion of the second reinforcing panel (103) that is parallel to the first reinforcing panel (102) are loosely connected by a coil (104).

Figure 6 illustrates a perspective view of a portion of an alternative fence panel (200) in accordance with the present invention. The fence panel (200) comprises a front panel (201), which is connected to first reinforcing panels (202) at alternating vertical wires by coils (204). Thus, every other vertical wire on the front panel (201) is connected to a first reinforcing panel (202).

A second reinforcing panel (203) extends along the top of the first reinforcing panels (202), perpendicular thereto. Both the first and second reinforcing panels (202, 203) are planar and extend perpendicularly away from the front panel (201). The second reinforcing panel (203) is connected to the front panel (201) and to the first reinforcing panels (202) by clips (not shown). A single second reinforcing panel (203) extends along the entire length of the front panel (201). The fence panel in Figure 6 meets the tests outlined in ASTM F2781-15, specifically the tests both for the medium threat (battery angle disk grinder with delay entry above 10 minutes) and the aggressive threat (a variety of tools such as gas-powered saw and electric disk grinder, with delay entry above 5 minutes).

Figure 7 illustrates a top plan view of a portion of the fence panel (200) of Figure 6, showing the top face of the second reinforcing panel (203), extending perpendicularly to the front panel (201). The first reinforcing panels (202) extend perpendicular to both the front panel (201) and the second reinforcing panel (203) and are connected to the front panel (201) by coils (204).