THE Securi Petit rape alarm can be worn, pendant fashion. It's the

size of a powder compact. It can be concealed inside a shirt or coat. In

an emergency, a 122-decibel high-frequency siren is activated by pulling

the cord at the base of the alarm. It costs #12.95.

Given the state of the nation, given the rise in crimes against the

person over the past 12 months, as indicated by the Home Office

Statistical Bulletin 6/94, it is possible that in the future carrying a

personal alarm may be the norm. Society has changed. At one point

high-street store staff were behind the counter, now they are all over

the shop, isolated. The Royal Mail take the issue of personal safety so

seriously that they have issued their unsupervised staff, postmen and

women, who work on the streets with emergency alarms. Alarms are now

used commercially, by anyone who could be at risk. This is an inevitable

development. But who would carry an alarm out of choice and why?

''Ask the poor lassie who's been raped'' (D E, supervisor)

''An alarm depends on noise to make another member of the public aware

that someone's being attacked, but what if you're in your home, or in a

lonely place? What happens then?'' (Shona Mack, student)

''I wouldn't wear a rape alarm day in, day out, only if I had to go

somewhere secluded. Rape is a violation of a very private part of your

life, it's used as a method of degradation. We've heard how Serbian

soldiers use it against women in Bosnia. But I'm not quite in that state

of fear, where I'd carry it around constantly'' (Annette MacMillan,

secretary)

''Most rapes are carried out by people known and trusted by the

victim'' (Mona Child, singer and waitress)

''If a lassie turned up on a date with me wearing a rape alarm, I'd be

gobsmacked. I'd be forced to crack jokes about it, all night, to break

the ice'' (Steve Borland, sales rep)

''I think the only reason that a woman would carry a rape alarm is if

she had been attacked before'' (Barbara Gillies, administrator)

''The police recommend the principle of carrying an alarm. The basis

of its work is not stopping the attacker dead in his tracks, but

alerting potential witnesses. Attackers do not want other people to

recognise them. If a woman is being stalked then setting off the alarm

will draw attention. The problem with conventional alarms is that they

are inconvenient to carry. The Securi Petit emergency alarm is worn

around the neck. Any other alarm on a string would be an illegal weapon

because you could be strangled with it'' (Victor Rosewell, managing

director, Audio Optics Ltd)

* The Securi Petit alarm is available direct from Audio Optics Ltd, PO

Box 3033, Wokingham RG11 4QQ.

Next week: Crosswords.