Featured Image: Ryan McGuire
The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has urged the UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to reevaluate security business licensing amid gaps in public space protection which it says undermines Martyn’s Law.
The current regulatory framework is more than 20 years old, with the NTIA describing it as “no longer fit for purpose”.
There are currently over 400,000 licensed door security within the UK and figures from the Security Industry Authority.
In the last five years, around 100,000 people who had not been UK residents for five years prior to applying for a licence. The regular could not complete a criminal record check in the countries they previously lived for more than 3,000 of these from 2017 to 2023.
Previous reports also claim that some security guards were fraudulently obtaining work licences through invalid training courses.
The NTIA has described these figures as “worrying” and that they “paint a stark reality of the vulnerabilities within the sector”.
“We urge the Home Secretary to intervene as a matter of urgency,” said NTIA chief executive and UK Door Security Association chair Michael Kill.
“The current system of individual licensing for security operatives is outdated and no longer fit for purpose. We need a reevaluation of business licensing in the private security sector to build the infrastructure and framework necessary to serve the public effectively. This will involve stringent checks, robust regulatory mechanisms, and a commitment to maintaining the integrity of the sector.
“The private security sector plays a vital role in safeguarding our communities. It is time we provide it with the necessary tools and oversight to operate with the utmost integrity and efficiency. Ensuring tax parity, reducing fraud, and deterring organised crime groups from exploiting the sector must be prioritised to protect public spaces and enhance national security, in line with the core principles of Martyn’s Law.”
Martyn’s Law aims to ensure enhanced protection of public spaces against terrorism.
It was formerly know as the Protect Duty, but is now known as ‘Martyn’s Law’ in tribute of Martyn Hett, who was killed alongside 21 others in the Manchester Arena terrorist attack in 2017.
Share this