Amadu Tavares was working at No6 Cocktail Bar in St Neots on Friday 10 May 2024 when Cambridgeshire Police carried out licence checks on door staff. They found that his licence had previously been suspended by the SIA on 10 April 2024.
He was invited for interview under caution with SIA investigators on 11 July 2024 and again on 31 July 2024 however failed to attend for interview on either date.
Tavares appeared at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on 15 January 2025 where he entered a guilty plea for offences contrary to Section 3 of the Private Security Industry Act 2001. He received a £200 fine, an £80 victim surcharge and had to pay £280 towards prosecution costs, totalling £560.
Nicola Bolton, Criminal Investigations Manager at the SIA, said
Our priority is public protection. We carefully review the actions of licence holders and suspend or revoke licences when necessary to keep people safe.
Mr Tavares chose to ignore the suspension of his licence, putting public safety at risk and undermining the integrity of the industry. The sentence handed down by the court will serve as a strong reminder that non-compliance has serious consequences.
Background
By law, security operatives working under contract must hold and display a valid SIA licence. Information about SIA enforcement and penalties can be found on GOV.UK/SIA.
The offence relating to the Private Security Industry Act 2001 that is mentioned above is
- Section 3 – engaging in licensable conduct without a licence
The SIA is the organisation responsible for regulating the private security industry in the UK, 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 (ACS).
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