As a result of a ‘proceeds of crime’ hearing, the imprisoned former owner of a security business located in Shropshire, was ordered to pay £ 3,608.21. The former owner of Showtime Security Guards, Matthew Davies and a former director, Maria Francis, both appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court last Friday (Oct 4th). Matthew Davies has been disqualified as a Director and has been ordered to pay £3608.21 within 3 months under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. Mr. Davies faces having his sentence increased by a further 2 months should he fail to pay the ordered amount. Following his prosecution ...

A security boss who ran seven companies under four different identities has been found guilty of defrauding security operatives who worked for him. John Gaines, 72, of Leamington Spa, was found guilty of 22 charges of fraud at Warwick Crown Court on Monday 30 September. Gaines employed Security Industry Authority (SIA) licensed security guards at a number of locations, including construction sites belonging to Heathrow Airport and Tesco. In many cases he either failed to pay them in full, or didn’t pay them at all. Gaines was also found guilty of claiming to be “SIA approved”, d...

Last Wednesday (25 September) the Security Industry Authority (SIA) carried out licence inspections across key venues in Leicestershire. All of the licences inspected by the 16 teams from the SIA's Partnerships and Interventions unit were legitimate. The SIA inspected 65 venues throughout Leicestershire, including the city of Leicester, Melton Mowbray, Loughborough, Coalville and Ashby-de-la-Zouch. The day-long activity included inspections at some of Leicester's most iconic locations. These included the King Power Stadium, home of Leicester City Football Club, Mars Petcare factory, and the...

Two brothers from West Yorkshire have been prosecuted for working in the security industry without the proper licences. Shamir Razak, an unlicensed door supervisor, and Abdul Rehman, his brother and employer, both pleaded guilty at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on 23 September. The prosecution was brought by the Security Industry Authority (SIA). Rehman was fined £290, whilst Razak was given 250 hours unpaid community service. The brothers each have to pay costs of £1125, to be paid within 56 days. Pete Easterbrook, SIA Criminal Investigation Manager, said: “The SIA will always prosecute ...

The SIA today (30 September) announced the appointment of Michelle Russell as the SIA Director of Partnership and Interventions. Michelle will be joining the SIA from the Charity Commission where she is currently Director of Investigations, Monitoring and Enforcement. Michelle leads on the commission’s corporate strategies on counter-terrorism, fraud and financial abuse, and safeguarding issues, and has worked influentially across government and with regulators and law enforcement agencies in the UK. She has also played a critical role in building the commission’s reputation as a robust...

Every year, the OSPAs (Outstanding Security Performance Awards) celebrates the best of the UK security industry. Next year's OSPAs is shaping up to be quite the event with well-known comedian and quiz master Paul Sinha being signed on to host. You may know Paul Sinha best from his appearances on ITV1's The Chase where he regularly participates as one of the "Chasers". Paul is also an established comedian and host, regularly appearing at top events around the country. Along with his duties as host, Paul will also be performing a stand-up comedy routine Next year's OSPAs will be held on t...

12th September 2019 John, who has been with the BSIA since 2016, will be overseeing the Manpower sections in his new role. Additionally, he will be working closely with the Export Council to promote British security abroad. His goal will be to raise the profile of both of these sectors while developing opportunities for respective members.  “I am delighted that John MacAskill has accepted the position of Director of Manpower & Export at the BSIA.  As the voice of the professional security industry, we are committed to developing the Association and the services we provide to our ...

September 11th 2019 On Tuesday 11th September 2019, the Security Industry Authority officially announced it's intention to lower the costs of all individual licenses. In a move which is unusual for a government regulator, the SIA has stated that from the 1st October 2019, licenses fees across all sectors will be reduced from £220 to £210. This reduction will be extended to both new applications and license renewals. License holders applying for an additional license after this date will pay 50% of the newly reduced fee. While the £10 reduction may not seem that significant by itself, ...

6th September 2019 On September 02, Kevin Warburton, a Staffordshire door supervisor was convicted and fined for working at Moorville Hall Hotel after his license had been revoked. Mr. Warburton, 50, of Stoke, pleaded guilty to working in a licensable security operative role whilst unlicensed. He was ordered to pay a £200 fine, £300 costs and a victim surcharge of £30. His conviction came about through a report to the Security Industry Authority (SIA) in January. The report claimed that despite having his license revoked in December 2017, Warburton was employed in a licensable security o...

Every year, the Outstanding Security Performance Awards (OSPAs) celebrates the achievements of those organizations and individuals that exemplify the best of the security industry. Awards are given in a range of categories that cover the majority of entities operating within the sector. Nominations for the OPSAs 2020 are now officially open and the categories are: Outstanding In-House Security Manager/Director Outstanding Contract Security Manager/Director Outstanding Security Team Outstanding Contract Security Company (Guarding) Outstanding Security Consultant Outstanding Customer Serv...