A door supervisor was arrested and charged with fraud after being found working illegally with a fake SIA licence at a club in Old Street at the weekend. The operation across the borough of Hackney was the last stage in a three month police-led pilot campaign targeting rogue door staff working in pubs and clubs in three London boroughs, Camden, Lambeth and Hackney.
On Friday and Saturday [3-4 Sept], 12 venues in Hackney were visited and 41 individuals inspected. Of those, 39 held valid SIA licences. As well as the individual working with the fake licence, a security director was identified who did not hold the non front-line SIA licence required if deploying security staff. This is now being investigated by the SIA.
A further five door staff were issued with warnings for failing to notify the SIA of a change of address, and one was given a warning for failing to display an SIA licence whilst on duty. The police also closed a Shoreditch bar due to poor management, breaches of the premises licence conditions and overcrowding.
During the three-month initiative, Security Industry Authority investigators supported officers from the Metropolitan Police’s SCD9 unit in checking venues in Camden, Lambeth and Hackney boroughs to ensure they are adhering to licensing regulations, such as door staff holding and displaying valid SIA licences – a requirement by law. In total, 156 individuals were inspected at licensed premises across the three boroughs. Police sent two door supervisors home for working illegally and 20 warnings were issued for breaching licensing conditions.
SIA Head of Investigation Jacquie Parker said: “This campaign has been very successful. The public deserve and should expect to see only trained, qualified and SIA-licensed door staff working to create a safe environment at pubs and clubs. We will be following up on the issues found during these operations and I look forward to working with the Metropolitan Police in the future.”