SIA routine checks uncover director with revoked licence at Elvis festival

December 19, 2017

A South Wales man has been sentenced for continuing to work as a security director despite having lost his SIA licence.

Billy Jones, director of BJ Securities Ltd, was sentenced to 12 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, and  200 hours unpaid work at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on 13 December.  Jones had previously had his SIA licence revoked following a conviction for threatening behaviour.

David Will, SIA Financial Investigation Officer, said:

“Billy Jones showed a deliberate disregard for the licensing regime.  He worked as an unlicensed director for a prolonged period, and did so while serving a sentence for another offence.

Jones’s criminality was exposed by an SIA investigation team performing unannounced licence checks at an event.  This is one of the ways that we ensure that security operatives are properly trained and vetted, and that they are working within the confines of the law.  SIA regional investigation teams and the police are working together across the UK to find unlicensed operatives and prevent them from being a danger to the public.”

In June 2016 SIA investigators visited the Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl, to perform routine licence checks during the Elvis Festival. They found an unlicensed security officer in place, who was working for Billy Jones’ firm, BJ Securities Limited.

An SIA investigation revealed that Billy Jones did not himself hold an SIA licence; it had been revoked in December 2015 due to his conviction for threatening behaviour under the Public Order Act 1986.   Billy Jones had continued in his role as the sole director of BJ Securities Ltd, despite being told by the SIA that he could not act as a director of a security company.

Mr Jones was interviewed under caution by SIA investigators and was charged under Section 3 of the Private Security Industry Act 2001. This legislation makes it an offence for a person to engage in any licensable conduct except under and in accordance with a licence.

The SIA are also seeking to recover their costs.  These will be dealt with under Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings in the New Year.