Cardiff man prosecuted for working illegally
On Wednesday 27 September 2023, a Cardiff man was prosecuted at Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates’ Court for working as illegal security.
Aymen Essa from Cardiff was fined £100 by Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates’ Court, and he was ordered to pay £846 prosecution costs and a £40 victim surcharge.
The prosecution was brought by the Security Industry Authority (SIA) who was informed by South Wales Police that Mr Essa was working illegally without an SIA licence at a Rhondda construction site within an industrial estate on 9 January 2023.
South Wales Police officers responded to an alarm at the site on 8 January 2023 and when they arrived at the site, they noted Aymen Essa working as a security guard who was wearing a high-visibility jacket. Police officers sought from Mr Essa his SIA licence which he didn’t have. Police officers found that he was deployed by a Cardiff-based security company that held the security contract for the industrial estate.
The case was referred to the SIA’s Criminal Investigations team who invited Essa for an interview under caution at Cardiff Bay Police Station on 23 May 2023. Essa joined the interview but failed to answer any of the investigator’s questions and he said: “take me to court”. The SIA is also pursuing a prosecution against the company responsible for deploying Mr Essa.
Mark Chapman, one of the SIA’s criminal investigations managers, said:
Aymen Essa was found working illegally at a construction site in Rhondda. His previous history meant that he is not a fit and proper person to hold an SIA licence, and this latest activity will add to his criminal record. Employers are reminded of their responsibility to carry out thorough due diligence checks on the people they engage to ensure that they are licensed and therefore suitable to do the responsible job of protecting the public and premises. A failure to do so will inevitably lead to further action being taken by the regulator.
He added:
I extend my gratitude to our partners at South Wales Police for their support working with the SIA to secure this prosecution.
Notes to editors:
- By law, security operatives working under contract must hold and display a valid SIA licence
- Read about SIA enforcement and penalties
- The offence relating to the Private Security Industry Act 2001 that is mentioned above is:
- Section 3 – engaging in licensable conduct without a licence
Further information:
- The Security Industry Authority is the organisation responsible for regulating the private security industry in the United Kingdom, reporting to the Home Secretary under the terms of the Private Security Industry Act 2001. The SIA’s main duties are the compulsory licensing of individuals undertaking designated activities and managing the voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme.
- For further information about the Security Industry Authority or to sign up for email updates visit: www.gov.uk/sia. The SIA is also on LinkedIn Facebook (Security Industry Authority) and Twitter (@SIAuk).