A North Wales business man is the first person to be found guilty of committing an offence under Section 5 of the Private Security Industry Act 2001 – providing unlicensed security operatives.
On Tuesday 30 August at Llangefni Magistrates’ Court, 55 year-old Dewi Williams, director of Bangor-based Venue-Sec, was found guilty of working without holding a Security Industry Authority (SIA) licence and of supplying unlicensed security operatives / door staff. Williams was fined £500 and ordered to pay £100 costs.
On 11 December 2004, as part of Operation Arrowhead, North Wales Police visited an event at Hendre Hall, Bangor. Williams was found operating without a licence and of supplying two unlicensed door supervisors: Anthony Jones and June Gallagher.
The court also found Jones guilty of working without an SIA door supervisor licence and he was fined £200 and ordered to pay £100 costs. Gallagher was found guilty in her absence and was given a six-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £100 costs.
Sue Sheath, SIA head of Investigation for Wales said:
"I commend the efforts of North Wales Police and the Crown Prosecution Service in bringing these cases to trial. Door supervisors and their managers who persist in working without a licence put themselves at risk of prosecution, and these convictions demonstrate that unlicensed activity will not be tolerated. These
verdicts are a warning to all directors, owners and managers of security companies to get licensed."
Also as part of Operation Arrowhead:
Stephen Owen, a local authority planning officer and part-time door supervisor, was found guilty of working without a door supervisor licence at The Ship in Bangor. Owen was given a 12 month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £100 costs.
Ricky Davies, from Bangor, was found guilty of working without a door supervisor licence at The White Lion, Bangor. Davies was fined £100 and ordered to pay £100 costs.
Responding to the outcome, Inspector Martin Pendleton of North Wales Police Safe Communities Team said:
"Following the introduction of the licensing
requirements contained in the Private Security Industry Act 2001, North
Wales Police and partner agencies held a number of initiatives and awareness-raising exercises to assist the industry in complying.
We wish to continue to develop and maintain a good working relationship with door staff and licensees, the majority of whom have worked hard to comply with the requirements but will, when necessary, prosecute, as has been demonstrated by the cases in Llangefni. There are likely to be further multi-agency initiatives over
the coming months during the run up to the Christmas period."
Gerallt Evans, Head of the Criminal Justice Unit for North Wales CPS added:
"The CPS is very satisfied with the outcome of this case. Doormen have an important role in ensuring that the public in North Wales can enjoy a night out with confidence that they are in a safe environment. It is important therefore, that the doormen employed are properly licensed so that the highest standards can be maintained.
We will continue to work with North Wales Police and the Security Industry Authority to enforce the law relating to the regulation of doormen in the interests of community safety."
John Haywood, Director of the Guild of Security added:
"We commend the actions of the law enforcement officers and those of the Crown Prosecution Service for bringing this action to a successfull conclusion and also the SIA for publicising this conviction in a public area where others who are still operating without a license can see first hand the potential results of their actions.
Although we would have liked to have seen much heavier fines and a "you are banned from applying for an SIA license for 5 years" we none the less, appluade this action and hope it gets the messaeg across that, if you do not have a license, you will be caught and you will be prosecuted."
Source:http://www.the-sia.org.uk/home/about_sia/news/nr_050901_ds.h