Security boss ordered to pay £164,000 Confiscation Order

The sentencing follows Browne’s conviction on 9 February last year at Scarborough Magistrates’ Court for working as an unlicensed company director of Scarborough-based Coastal Security Ltd.

The prosecution was brought by the Security Industry Authority (SIA).

Browne held a valid SIA security guarding licence up until 15 February 2016. After his licence expired, he refused to apply for a new security guarding licence even after repeated attempts by the SIA to help him to engage with the regulator’s licensing process. Browne continued to work as an unlicensed director of a company supplying security for more than four-and-a-half years between 15 February 2016 and 21 August 2020.

Browne responded to a request for information when he gave a full and frank account during an interview under caution on 20 August 2020 and admitted that he had knowingly acted as a director of a company supplying private security industry services without an SIA licence.

Browne was a director of Coastal Security Ltd for 21 years from December 2000. The business supplied CCTV, security equipment and security officers, but the company has now been put into liquidation.

Jenny Hart, one of the SIA’s criminal investigation managers, said the court order reflects the seriousness of Browne’s failings to engage with the SIA and get licensed. “We did everything possible to engage with Browne, but he failed to renew and apply for a licence to operate. He was negligent and put the public at risk as he refused to become licensed. His non-compliance has exacerbated the situation, which could have easily been avoided.”

Hart added: “The purpose of the SIA’s licensing regime is to protect the public. Browne has incurred a significant court order which reflects four years’ worth of greed. His business has subsequently been liquidated.”

Illegal security at Oktoberfest

On Friday 1 July at North Somerset Magistrates’ Court, Stephen Berrisford of Weston-super-Mare pleaded guilty to supplying unlicensed security to the town’s Oktoberfest last year. Berrisford was fined £133 and is required to pay court costs of £500 as well as a victim surcharge of £34 by 31 August. He’s a sole-trader trading as Steve Security & Supply and is in possession of a valid SIA licence.

This sentencing follows the prosecution of another Weston-super-Mare individual, namely Chadd Heath, on 6 May, who entered a guilty plea to a charge of working as an unlicensed security operative at Oktoberfest 2021.

SIA investigators visited Oktoberfest as part of a routine licence inspection in partnership with Devon and Cornwall Police licensing officers on 1 October 2021. They saw three people wearing security jackets at the entrance gate and asked to see their security licences. Two correctly displayed their licences, which were verified by the investigators. The third individual, namely Chadd Heath, did not display a licence and the SIA investigators challenged him.

That night, Heath wore a jacket marked with the word ‘Security’, which he said he was wearing to keep himself warm. Heath revealed that he did not have a licence and was therefore working illegally.

The SIA investigators found that the security detail was deployed by Steve Security & Supply and, on the same night, contacted Berrisford, the sole trader of the enterprise, to check Heath’s status. Berrisford said that Heath was working as a steward and, therefore, did not need to be licensed.

The SIA investigating officer found out from the Oktoberfest organisers that they had procured seven door supervisors and no stewards to protect the event.

Berrisford was interviewed by the SIA under caution on 4 February 2022 and reiterated that Heath worked as a steward. This led to the SIA bringing a prosecution against Berrisford for deploying unlicensed security.

Jenny Hart commented: “This latest prosecution brings to an end an investigation into a man who holds an SIA licence and who deployed unlicensed security to a very popular local event. He betrayed the trust of the organisers and put the event’s guests at risk. As a result of this prosecution, Berrisford now has a criminal record and is liable to have a licence status review, which could end his private security career.”