On 1 November, Elite Security (NW) Ltd and David Halliwell were found guilty and sentenced for deploying unlicensed guards, at Wigan and Ince Magistrates Court.
In May 2015 Elite Security Ltd emailed an SIA Approved Contractor (ACS company) to ask them to supply a Licence Dispensation Notice (LDN) to one of their security operatives who was unlicensed. An LDN is an authorisation from the Security Industry Authority (SIA) to deploy security staff while their licence applications are being processed. This is only available to businesses that achieve Approved Contractor Status. An LDN was issued and this security operative worked on an Elite Security contract at a bar in Wigan.
SIA investigators received intelligence about Elite Security Ltd in April 2016 and began enquiries issuing a request for information under Section 19 of the Private Security industry Act 2001 (PSIA). However, information about the contracts and staff working in the Wigan and Bolton areas were not provided, and the details of the unlicensed guard were omitted, despite evidence that he had been working at the relevant time frame.
Lead Investigator Jenny Hart said:
“I am pleased with the outcome of this case and welcome the Court’s response to the failure to provide a full response to the SIAs request for information and deliberate attempts to deny any wrongdoing with regards to the issue of LDNs, a practise which Elite Security (NW) Ltd had no place to be involved with”.
Haliwell pleaded guilty to the Section 5 offence (via section 23) for deploying an unlicensed guard, failing to provide information (Section 19 offence) and giving false information (Section 22 offence). He was fined £850 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £85 within 7 days.
Elite Security Ltd pleaded guilty to the Section 5 offence and were fined £400 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £40 surcharge and £7,640 in costs.