The operation followed intelligence that unlicensed door staff were working in the area. In all, 13 licensed premises were visited and 35 door staff inspected. Four individuals were found working unlicensed and another four door staff were discovered to be breaking their licence conditions by not displaying the ‘badges’ correctly.
Speaking to SMT Online about the investigation, Jackie Munn – and SIA head of investigation – said: “We were happy to support Humberside Police during this intelligence-led operation. Determined action will now be taken against those found flouting the law. There will be further operations to ensure licensed premises and door staff in Hull are operating legally.”
Further checks to maintain standards
Embellishing Munn’s comments, sergeant Andy Parsons from the Humberside Police Public Order Policing Team added: “The checks carried out with the SIA will ensure that only people who have the correct training to keep revellers safe and are working on the doors in Hull.”
Parsons continued: “We plan to carry out further checks in the future to ensure that the high standards in Hull city centre are maintained. We would urge door staff to comply with the law and display their SIA licences whenever they’re on duty.”
Supervisors appraised in Northamptonshire
On two consecutive Fridays, investigators from the SIA were also out in Northamptonshire checking that door staff held valid SIA licences.
The first of these random checks occurred on Friday 28 November in Kettering, whereupon the SIA and officers from Northamptonshire Police, the fire service,
trading standards and the local authority visited eight venues. 13 doormen were inspected. 12 were found to hold valid licences. One was working with a forged SIA licence.
A week later, the SIA and the police visited ten venues in Northampton city centre. 27 door staff were checked, 26 of whom held a valid SIA licence. One door supervisor was found working with an expired licence.
Trained, qualified and professional
“I’m pleased that, during these operations, most of the door staff inspected were SIA licensed,” explained Jackie Munn. “We also found a small number of individuals flouting the law, and they may be subject to police prosecutions.”
Munn concluded: “These checks were a great example of enforcement partners working together to help the public feel safer on a night out, but I want to reinforce the message that SIA licence holders are trained, qualified and professional operatives. There’s no longer a role for amateurs in this line of work.”
SIA licences can be checked through the Register of Licence Holders, which is available 24 hours per day on the Regulator’s web site (see our dedicated link on the right hand panel of this page).