West Bromwich man prosecuted for working illegally at a Birmingham bar
On 30 June 2023 a West Bromwich man was convicted at Birmingham Magistrates' Court for working illegally as a door supervisor.
Seydina Samb pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a 12-month community rehabilitation order of 80 hours unpaid work and 10 days rehabilitation activity requirement with the Probation Service. He was also ordered to pay £500 prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £95.
On 21 October 2021 regional investigators from the Security Industry Authority (SIA) and officers from West Midlands Police were doing a routine inspection of clubs and pubs in Birmingham’s city centre. The inspection included a bar in Victoria Street and the SIA inspectors checked the licences of two men who were working on the door; both men were wearing black security uniforms.
One man was not displaying a licence and could not produce one when asked. A licence was produced by the head doorman in the name of Seydina Samb but it actually belonged to another, legitimate licence holder. The man, Seydina Samb promptly left the venue. SIA investigators inspected the bar’s signing-in book, and it revealed that Samb had worked there previously eight times in October 2021.
The other door supervisor was working legally with a legitimate door supervisor’s licence.
The SIA began a criminal investigation and SIA investigators tried repeatedly to engage with Seydina Samb. He failed to engage until he pleaded not guilty to the charges at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 31 October 2022.
On sentencing District Judge Bristow said:
Samb gave a thoroughly dishonest representation to the company in using the fraudulent licence.
The judge added that:
Those who work on the doors are in a highly trusted position, dealing with people involved with disorder and criminality.
He expressed the concern of the court that:
Samb presented a licence card with his photo and name on it but used someone else’s SIA licence details.
He added that:
Those who put themselves in trusted positions, both as an employee and a door supervisor, should not do so by dishonest means.
Mark Chapman, one of the SIA’s criminal investigation managers, said:
The purpose of the SIA’s licensing regime is to protect the public. Seydina Samb has pleaded guilty to working with a fake licence in Birmingham’s city centre. The venue and its patrons deserve better by having security that is vetted and appropriately trained to keep them safe.
Notes to editors:
- By law, security operatives working under contract must hold and display a valid SIA licence
- Read about SIA enforcement and penalties
- The offence relating to the Fraud Act 2006 that is mentioned above is:
- Section 2 - fraud by false representation
Further information:
- The Security Industry Authority is the organisation responsible for regulating the private security industry in the United Kingdom, 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.
- For further information about the Security Industry Authority or to sign up for email updates visit: www.gov.uk/sia. The SIA is also on LinkedIn, Facebook (Security Industry Authority) and Twitter (@SIAuk).
Last updated 9 November 2023 + show all updates
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Updated to correct 2 errors: "Birmingham Magistrate's Court" not "Birmingham and Solihull Magistrates' Court"; "31 October 2022" not "19 August 2022".
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First published.