A former boxer from Bradford has been fined after he failed to respond to a Security Industry Authority (SIA) investigation into an unlicensed door supervisor.
Stephen Garber, director of Worldwide Security Services, represented himself at trial and was found guilty at Bradford Magistrates' Court on 29 August 2024. The court sentenced Garber on 28 November, giving him a £650 financial penalty and ordering him to pay £216 victim surcharge and £2,000 prosecution costs.
The SIA first began investigating Garber following a joint operation by West Yorkshire Police and the local authority in Bradford city centre on 2 April 2022. A door supervisor at a pub in Bradford was suspected of operating without a valid SIA licence. The SIA subsequently investigated and charged him with the offence, to which he pleaded guilty and was fined.
This led to an investigation into Mr Garber's activities, and those of his company Worldwide Securities Services Ltd (WSS). The SIA suspected WSS of having supplied this security operative to the venue and others in the Bradford area.
The SIA invited Mr Garber to an interview and requested information relating to the provision of security at the venue. Mr Garber failed to attend the interview or respond to the request for information.
Mark Chapman, Criminal Investigations Manager at the SIA, said:
The licensing regime and the regulations which underpin it are here to protect the public. Anyone going to visit their local pubs and clubs should be able to do so in the expectation of being in a safe environment with trained and licensed security staff present. Mr Garber actively obstructed our investigation into failures to comply with the legislation. The sentencing reflects his blatant disregard for the rules that are there to keep people safe.
I'd like to thank our law enforcement partners West Yorkshire Police and Bradford City Council for their assistance in this case.
Notes
By law, security operatives working under contract must hold and display a valid SIA licence. Information about SIA enforcement and penalties can be found on GOV.UK/SIA .
The offence relating to the Private Security Industry Act 2001 that is mentioned above is:
- Section 19 - obstructing SIA officials or those with delegated authority, or failing to respond to a request for information
