Last Thursday (28 November) a West Yorkshire security firm – 2 B Secure Ltd – was fined £10,000 at Leeds Magistrates’ Court and required to pay costs of £778.40 as well as a victim surcharge of £181.2 B Secure will have to pay the full amount within 28 days.

2 B Secure Ltd supplied an unlicensed security guard, Steven Hare, on 24 occasions between 7 December 2018 and 14 February 2019 to the Leeds venues Baracoa, the Rosse and the Bierkeller.

Haidar Mumtaz, of Keighley, was a director of the company when he supplied  Hare’s services but resigned his directorship of 2 B Secure on 17 May 2019. The company then installed two new directors, Mark Bateson and Andrew Brennan who resigned following pursuit by SIA investigators. Brennan was reappointed to 2 B Secure on 06 November 2019.

The SIA brought this prosecution following our successful prosecutions of Steven Hare in September and Haidar Mumtaz, a former director of 2 B Secure, in November. The SIA investigated Mumtaz following information from West Yorkshire Police.

Pete Easterbrook, one of the SIA Criminal Investigation Managers said:

“The severity of the fine 2 B Secure Ltd has incurred reflects the poor conduct displayed by the former directors of the company. All of whom sought to avoid the consequences of their actions by resigning at various stages during this investigation. These actions were designed to limit the ability of the SIA to prosecute the company – this approach was ill-judged and quite clearly did not have the desired effect. This prosecution should act as a reminder that the consequences of supplying unlicensed security operatives are serious and we will always take appropriate action where regulation is undermined and the public are put at risk.