A Buckinghamshire-based security director has been found guilty for deploying an unlicensed security operative against previous Security Industry Authority (SIA) guidance.
On Thursday, March 4, Michael Andreou of, Donnay Close, Gerrards Cross, was found guilty at City of London Magistrates Court. Andreou’s company, European Security Services Limited, was also found guilty of the same offence.
The court heard that since 2010, Michael Andreou, 64, received clear guidance from the SIA on how to manage the licensing of his staff to ensure they were all compliant with the law. In an SIA and Metropolitan Police operation in June 2012, it became apparent that this guidance was ignored and Andreou had regularly provided a well-known venue in London’s West End with an unlicensed security operative. The offences occurred between April and June of the same year.
In court the magistrate fined Andreou and his company £500 and ordered him to pay £2,000 towards prosecution costs.
SIA Head of Investigation Nathan Salmon said after the case: “This conviction should act as a warning to businesses that have a casual approach to the licensing of security staff. The SIA had worked with Mr Andreou, guiding him on how best to manage the checking of licences of his staff. Yet this advice was ignored and resulted in his business supplying an individual whose licence had been revoked.
“It is unacceptable that the regulator should continue to be ignored. In addition to the penalty imposed by the court, Mr Andreou will be unable to continue in his role within the security industry.”
