On 1 May 2026 at Scarborough Magistrates’ Court, Mr Fenwick pleaded guilty to an offence under Section 3 of the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981. As a result, he was ordered to pay a fine of £230, a victim surcharge of £90 and prosecution costs of £600, totalling £920.
In October 2025, Mr Fenwick supplied the SIA with a reference purporting to be from his supervisor at a former place of employment. SIA licensing staff then reached out to the supervisor who confirmed that he had not given any reference for Mr Fenwick.
During an interview under caution with SIA investigators at Scarborough Police Station, Mr Fenwick admitted to forging the reference to try to attain an SIA licence without having to supply a legitimate employment reference.
Nicola Bolton, SIA Criminal Enforcement Manager said
Mr Fenwick’s attempt to deceive the SIA in our licensing process had the potential to put the public at risk. Thankfully that point was never reached as the deception was swiftly identified by the SIA’s Licensing Team. Our licensing process is robust, and anyone who attempts to cheat the system will be dealt with appropriately.
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 offences relating to the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 mentioned above are
- Section 3 – using a false instrument
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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