These cases are the culmination of a series of prosecutions brought by the Security Industry Authority (SIA). They follow the prosecution of Louth company director, Trevor Frater at Grimsby Crown Court in November 2021, in which Frater was ordered to pay £33,979.51 in Proceeds of Crime Act reparations, within eight weeks or face a prison sentence.
The case began when three unlicensed men were supplied from Frater's business, Elite Security, to provide round the clock illegal security to G4 Fuels Ltd between 17 July 2020 and 26 August 2020.
They were supplied under the auspices of the site being a 'COVID-19' test and trace operation. SIA's investigators found no links between an official test and trace operation and the supply of the staff to Brookenby Business Park.
On 27 October 2020 Chambers and Whitfield were invited to an interview-under-caution with SIA investigators. Whitfield joined the interview while Chambers failed to engage with SIA investigators.
On 28 May 2021, the third unlicensed operative, Frank Quinton pleaded guilty at Grimsby Magistrates' Court to working illegally. He was fined £100 and required to pay £779.40 prosecution costs and a £39 victim surcharge.
Michael Chambers and Michael Whitfield pleaded not guilty to working without a licence, despite being shown in video evidence as doing so. A new trial date was therefore set for Friday 13 October 2023.
Michael Chambers was found guilty by the court and was fined £500, ordered to pay £1,500 prosecution costs and a victim surcharge £50. Michael Whitfield was found guilty and was fined £500, ordered to pay £1,500 prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £50.
Jenny Hart, one of the SIA's criminal investigations managers, said:
Friday's court case concludes a series of prosecutions where opportunists sought to exploit the sensitive COVID-19 period. Chambers and Whitfield falsely claimed that they never worked illegally for Frater and at the Brookenby site as security despite video evidence clearly showing they did. The SIA's regulatory regime exists to protect the public from harm. Messrs Whitfield and Chambers have now incurred fines and criminal records following their criminality.
Notes:
- By law, security operatives working under contract must hold and display a valid SIA licence
- Read about SIA enforcement and penalties
- The offences relating to the Private Security Industry Act 2001 that are mentioned above are:
- Michael Chambers and Michael Whitfield: Section 3 - engaging in licensable conduct without a licence
