Two out of three Scottish doorworkers found without licences
One of the first operation's carried out under the Security Industry Authority's (SIA) pre-Christmas crackdown has seen two out of three doorstaff issued with warnings.
During an exercise in and around Inverness on November 29 and 30, eleven out of 16 operatives checked were found to be working without an SIA licence, with just five deployed lawfully and were displaying their SIA licences.
The operation is further evidence that the door worker laws in Scotland, which came in on November 1 this year, have yet to make a major impact on the sector.
Jenny Pattinson, an SIA head of investigation said: "Security guards and door staff who work without an SIA licence, and those deploying them, are committing an offence and it is disappointing that the majority of those checked were not complying with the law.
"The security industry and night-time economy are growing and important sectors in Scotland. SIA licence holders are qualified and professional operatives and there is no longer a role for amateurs."
Inspector Bob Pollock, at Northern Constabulary said: "We were extremely disappointed to find that 69% of those operatives checked during the joint Police, SIA operation were found to be working without an SIA licence. The provision of door stewards assists in the maintenance of public order and safety, and the purpose in having trained, registered door stewards is to provide the public with a service in which they can have confidence and trust.
"We would therefore join with our colleagues at the SIA in urging licensees to be certain that they are operating within the law when employing door stewards for their own, their customers, and the public's benefit."
Licensees are urged to check that their security suppliers operate within the law through the Register of Licence Holders are of the SIA website, at www.the-sia.org.uk, or by calling 0844 892 1025.
