A company director and his business have been hit with a combined court bill of more than £27,000 for providing illegal security services at a bar.

Principal Protection and Events Ltd (PPE) supplied an unlicensed service to Havana Wine Bar in Charminster Road.

The company, of Oxford Road, Bournemouth, and director Patrick Briggs were prosecuted by the Security Industry Authority (SIA).

Dorset Police licensing officers shared information with investigators at the statutory body that PPE deployed Ricardo Shand as an unlicensed door supervisor for two shifts at Havana on January 13 and 14.

Briggs, 50 and of Cartwright Close, Bournemouth, admitted employing an unlicensed person in licensable conduct while on the company’s behalf he admitted a like offence.

Magistrates sitting in Poole on June 29 fined Briggs £1,920 and ordered him to pay a £768 surcharge and £1,400.60 costs. PPE was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay a £2,000 surcharge and £1,400 costs.

Shand, 48, and of Slepe Crescent, Poole, admitted two counts of engaging in licensable conduct without a licence over the shifts at Havana Wine Bar, while he was found guilty of a further charge in relation to activity at DNA Bar in Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, on May 28, 2022.

The SIA said this came about after inspections of Bournemouth’s night-time economy took place over the bank holiday weekend last year during a joint operation with police.

Shand was fined a total of £1,883 and ordered to pay £4,000 costs and a £752 surcharge.

Bournemouth Echo: Poole Magistrates' CourtPoole Magistrates' Court

Mark Chapman, SIA criminal investigation manager, said: “Patrick Briggs, PPE and Ricardo Shand deliberately supplied and provided illegal security to Bournemouth’s night-time economy.

“Both Briggs and Shand knew that the SIA licence regime exists to protect the public, yet they chose to operate illegally putting the safety of patrons of Bournemouth’s bars and clubs at risk by their actions.”

Sergeant Gareth Gosling, of Dorset Police’s drug and alcohol harm reduction team, said: “This was an excellent piece of partnership work between Dorset Police’s Alcohol Licensing Team and the SIA to identify and take positive action against individuals intent on either working without the necessary SIA accreditation or supplying unlicensed staff to the night-time economy in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council area.

“This illegal activity undermines our efforts to ensure that we have properly vetted and accredited staff capable of promoting our force’s community safety priorities.

“We value the contribution of the SIA accredited staff in the night-time economy and consistently support them where possible to deliver the best service in their venues. However, unlicensed individuals posing as accredited door supervisors risk undermining the trust and confidence of the public and will not be tolerated.”