In all, 15 licensed premises were visited and 37 door supervisors checked by the investigators. 33 doormen held valid SIA licences, three doormen were warned for Section 3 offences (working without an SIA licence) and one doorman was warned for not displaying his licence.
Speaking about the Regulator’s latest enforcement operation, Sue Sheath – an SIA head of investigation – said: “Bath benefits from a vibrant night-time economy, so it was encouraging to find the majority of venue licensees taking a responsible approach to protecting their customers by using SIA licensed door staff.”
Inspector Peter Warren from Avon and Somerset Constabulary added: “This is another great example of partners working together to make the communities of Bath feel safe and be safe. The SIA has been very supportive and their expertise has allowed us to identify a number of issues among door staff across the city which we will now be addressing”
SIA revokes company director’s licence
A Manchester man who ran a security company is the first director to have his licence revoked by the Security Industry Authority (SIA) based on non-conviction information. The company director, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had received warnings from the SIA for deploying unlicensed security operatives and failing to respond to requests made under Section 19 of the Private Security Industry Act 2001 – Powers of Entry and Inspection.
Rachael White – an SIA head of investigation – explained: “We always maintain a fair and just approach to enforcement and work closely with companies and their employees to help them operate within the law. In this case, the director made no attempt to comply and, as a result of working against us, this led to his SIA licence being revoked. We hope the case sends a strong message to other non-compliant company directors.”
A licence will be revoked if the licence holder:
*is not the person to whom the named licence should have been issued
*does not have the training qualifications that were claimed on application
*receives a conviction, caution or warning for a relevant offence
*loses – or did not have when they applied – the right to remain or work in the UK
Licences may also be revoked if the licence holder breaks the conditions on which their licence was issued or the Regulator receives non-conviction information suggesting that there is a case for having the licence withdrawn. A licence might also be revoked if the licence holder becomes subject to detention because of mental disorder.
Section 19: what does it say?
Section 19 of the Private Security Industry Act 2001 refers to Powers of Entry and Inspection. Persons authorised by the SIA may enter premises owned or occupied by a regulated person other than premises occupied exclusively for residential purposes as a private dwelling. Regulated persons are required to produce documents or information in connection with matters that are subject to regulation under the Act (ie licensable conduct, the provision of security services and any conditions attaching to Approved Contractor status under a compulsory scheme).
Persons exercising powers of entry may do so only at reasonable times and must satisfy certain requirements under the Act, such as providing evidence of their identity and authorisation.