Hospitality industry calls on Home Secretary to re-evaluate security licensing "amid alarming gaps in public space protection", undermining Martyn’s Law.

The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has issued a formal letter to the Home Secretary, calling for a reevaluation of the current security business licensing framework. Recent findings, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, reveal alarming gaps in public space protection and highlight vulnerabilities within the private security sector.

The NTIA emphasises that the current system, focused on individual licensing, is outdated and no longer ‘fit for purpose.’ With over 400,000 licensed door security operatives in the UK, significant risks include unchecked backgrounds, tax fraud, and opportunities for organised crime groups to infiltrate the industry.

Michael Kill, CEO of the NTIA, stresses the urgency of reform, aligning with the goals of Martyn’s Law to ensure the highest standards of public safety. The letter calls for robust checks, business licensing, and better regulatory oversight to protect public spaces and combat terrorism threats.

In the letter, the NTIA said:

"The current regulatory framework is over twenty years old and no longer ‘fit for purpose’. Private security is the only regulated sector where businesses can operate out of sight of the regulator due to the current emphasis being on licensing individual operatives, not businesses. As greater reliance is placed on private security contributing to public safety, it is the businesses  deploying the security operatives that pose the greater risk.

"There are currently over 400,000 licensed door security within the UK, which means that at any one time we could be looking at 1 in 4 security operatives included within the figures above.

"An estimated £250,000 million in tax fraud and evasion plagues this industry, along with gaps in insurance coverage among individual self-employed operators. These issues collectively undermine the industry’s value and cast doubt on its professionalism.

"These figures paint a stark reality of the vulnerabilities within the sector and highlight the urgent need for comprehensive reforms. Without a robust checkable five-year history, the integrity and reliability of security personnel cannot be guaranteed. This gap not only undermines public safety but also facilitates fraud and enables OCGs to infiltrate the sector through labour exploitation.

The current situation does not align with the objectives of Martyn’s Law, which aims to ensure enhanced protection of public spaces against terrorism. To effectively support this initiative, it is crucial that the private security sector is regulated with the highest standards of scrutiny and accountability."