Torquay door supervisor convicted for working unlicensed

In addition, Christopher Moremi-Fitch pleaded guilty to two offences under the same Act: a Section 5 offence for the supply of an unlicensed security operative (namely Hannaford-Hill) and a Section 19 offence for his failure to provide information to Security Industry Authority (SIA) investigators.

Moremi-Fitch was ordered to pay a fine of £120, a victim surcharge of £40 and also £150 in prosecution costs, totalling £310.

Expired licence

The SIA was made aware of the unlicensed security work taking place after Devon and Cornwall Police attended an incident in Torquay on 27 July last year at a venue where Hannaford-Hill was identified as having been working as a door supervisor. SIA records showed that Hannaford-Hill’s door supervisor licence had expired on 6 October 2023.

Moremi-Fitch was later confirmed as the point of contact for the company that deployed Hannaford-Hill and was interviewed under caution by the SIA in December 2024. During this interview, Moremi-Fitch accepted that he had been responsible for the deployment of Hannaford-Hill on 27 July.

Genuine threat

Nicola Bolton, criminal investigations manager at the SIA, observed: “These convictions reflect the genuine threat that both front line security and security directors operating unlicensed can pose to the public. Thank you to our partners in Devon and Cornwall Police for their support. We are committed to using all of our powers, including prosecutions, to ensure the public can have trust in the security operatives that help to keep them safe.”

The offences relating to the Private Security Industry Act 2001 mentioned above are Section 3 (engaging in licensable conduct without a licence), Section 5 (the supply of unlicensed operatives) and Section 19 (obstructing SIA officials, or those with delegated authority, or failing to respond to a request for information).