Checks were conducted on door supervisors working in Great Yarmouth on Friday night [7 August] as part of operation to ensure public safety. Working together, the Security Industry Authority and Norfolk Constabulary checked door supervisors held and displayed valid SIA licences – a requirement by law. At pubs, bars and a caravan park, 27 operatives were inspected. Only one individual was warned for failing to display their licence. Nigel Davies, an SIA Head of Investigation said: “I am pleased with the high compliance found on Friday night. During the summer months, Great Yarmouth becomes...

Personal Profile - Bill Muskin Chairman - VSG Limited Bill Muskin is Chairman and the original founder of VSG Ltd.  He is also Chairman of the Manned Guarding Sector for the BSIA and UK representative for the Confederation of European Security Sectors (CoESS). Bill spent his early career in the police force: based in Daventry, he spent most of his 16 years in CID, including an eight-year assignment with the drug squad.  On leaving the police force Bill joined Firm Security, where in nine years he worked his way up to become Operational Director.  Firm Security was acquired by Chubb in 199...

The nominees for this year’s Security Industry Oscars – The Security Excellence Awards – organised by United Business Media, whose titles include Info4Security and SMT Online, have been announced. Once again the Security Guarding Company of the Year category appears to be hotly contested with nine nominees, including previous winners, VSG and Wilson James. The nominees are; Security Guarding Company of the YearAFC Group Cardinal Security Ecovert FM FGH Security Profile Security Services The Shield Guarding Company VSG Ward Security Wilson JamesSecurit...

Yesterday at Grantham Magistrates Court [30 July], Magistrates handed down a Community Punishment Order (60 hours of unpaid work) and prosecution costs of £1000 to former Grantham doorman Jamie David Barratt after he pleaded guilty to making false statements to the Security Industry Authority – an offence under section 22 of the Private Security Industry Act 2001.Barratt, (22) of Buckminster Gardens, Grantham, Lincolnshire, had previously been convicted of working as an unlicensed door supervisor in August 2008.Barratt then knowingly made false statements in an appeal against the SI...

Thursday night checks at pubs and bars in Skegness and Ingoldmells found door staff complying with licensing regulations [Thursday 23 July]. As part of a follow-up to another operation conducted last month to ensure that only SIA licensed door staff work at local licensed premises officers from Lincolnshire Police and licensing officers from East Lindsey District Council joined investigators from the Security Industry Authority.By law, door staff must hold a front line SIA licence and display this whilst working. Those who manage, supervise and/or employ door staff must hold a non-front li...

At a `sparkling’ event at the IPC Blue Fin Building  in London to celebrate its 50th , Strand, synonymous with top class cleaning in London’s iconic buildings, introduced Eligo and Resolution as a premier brand alliance to top City clients.  Eligo offers bespoke high end fine dining, with experience in serving some of London’s most discerning customers, and Resolution has an excellent reputation for offering a tailored, discreet bespoke security service to blue chip clients in the world’s leading international financial business centre.  The Premier Alliance allows Strand to offer c...

The British Security Industry Association has welcomed the publication of the new European Standard for security smoke devices – EN50131-8. The new standard started life as a BSIA code of practice and was then developed into a British Standard before progressing to Europe. The BSIA has led the way in the development of the standard throughout its transition. Alex Carmichael, BSIA Technical Director, comments: "Developing standards is essential to ensuring the supply of high quality products to the market. The Association has been at the forefront of developing this standard from its beginn...

Today, Bill Butler joins the Security Industry Authority as its new Chief Executive. Speaking today, Bill said: “I am very pleased to be joining the SIA today. What is very clear to me is that the SIA is very focussed on what it needs to achieve, and is demonstrating that it can deliver. I am looking forward to working with colleagues and meeting stakeholders over the coming weeks and months." Before joining the SIA, Bill was Director of Corporate Services at the Gambling Commission working as part of the Board in the creation of the new regulator for the gambling industry. Prior to this h...

“Today, 20 July, the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) changed the UK threat level from international terrorism from severe to substantial. This means that a terrorist attack is a strong possibility.” Said the Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, when announcing the reduction of the threat level to the lowest, since the inception of the threat level system, on 1 August 2006.“The change in the threat level to substantial does not mean the overall threat has gone away – there remains a real and serious threat against the United Kingdom and I would ask that the public remain vigilant. ...

On the Brent Housing Estate, a neighbourhood warden, Kay-Ann Beckford-Reid of G4S Secure Solutions rescued a young girl who was being attacked by a crowd of thirty youths. Kay-Ann bravely intervened, rescued the girl and led her to safety with the gang of youths still in pursuit, and then called the emergency services.   Kay-Ann has been described as always showing passion and commitment for her work. She acted with a sense of duty and another person’s safety in mind and risked injury to herself in order to halt the attack. Yesterday, Kay Ann, nine other security officers and four security...