A man who both acted as director of a security company and worked as a front line security guard without a licence has been prosecuted
The director of a security company based in Cornwall has been ordered to pay over £1,600 after acting as both the director of a security company and as a security operative without a licence for either activity.
Dean Lanyon, director of Trouble Free Security Ltd, was questioned by Devon and Cornwall Constabulary at an event near Wadebridge on 6 July 2024. Trouble Free Security Ltd were providing security for the event and Lanyon was working there as a security operative, where he initially told police he held a Security Industry Authority (SIA) licence.
Police checked the SIA Public Register of Licence Holders, which showed that Lanyon was unlicensed, and referred this to the SIA.
Between 10 October 2024 and 31 October 2024, Lanyon failed to respond to repeated requests for information relating to Trouble Free Security Ltd.
SIA records showed that Dean Lanyon had never held an SIA licence, despite having made four historic applications to the SIA to obtain a licence where each had expired without payment.
On 2 April 2025, Lanyon pleaded guilty to offences under both Section 3 and Section 19 of the Private Security Industry Act. He was ordered to pay a £400 fine for each offence, a victim surcharge of £320, and prosecution costs of £500, totalling £1,620.
Kirsty Grant, Criminal Investigations Officer at the Security Industry Authority, said:
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 Private Security Industry Act 2001 mentioned above are:
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).