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Tag: #london

A stock image of a stereotypical black hat hacker at work in a room filled with screens.

Beware of sophisticated scammers…

Written by Jaco Nieuwoudt on . Posted in Articles. No Comments on Beware of sophisticated scammers…

Sophisticated scammers are pretending to be bailiffs, in an effort to trick individuals out of money.

In one such instance an individual was called by sophisticated scammers claiming to be from a company of bailiffs. The scammer claimed that they were, on the request of the courts in Huddersfield, on their way to his home due to his failure to pay £3500 awarded against him in a county court judgement.

Taking the number the “bailiff” had given individual, they decided to call the court. To their surprise they were met with a recorded message. It statined that they had called Huddersfield courts, before a number of options were listed. The individual was then put through to what they thought was an officer, who explained the process required, sending what appeared to be authentic documentation.

Once the individual got home they were still suspicious and looked up the number for the court online, which was different to the one they had been given and called them. The court confirmed that it was a scam and explained that the scammers had copied and were using their documentation. They had even lifted the phone intro from Huddersfield court.

Thankfully, this case ended well, but up and down the country millions of pounds are lost to scam telephone calls. Don’t become a statistic and stay safe from scammers.

Tips for dealing with sophisticated scammers

There are a few things to remember when picking up the phone to a bailiff to make sure that you are protected:

  • A bailiff company will never ask you to phone the court to pay an outstanding debt
  • Make sure they have the correct paperwork and that it is in date
  • Don’t give any private information such as bank details
  • Verify the number through an online search
  • Don’t let them pressure you
  • Report the call to the authorities
A stock image of a new building under construction

New building? Tenants yet to move in? No problem.

Written by George Oliver on . Posted in Articles.


New buildings cause a huge amount of interest, these may be from speculative agents trying to get an impromptu viewing without consent, often very convincingly, or it can be previous contractors who have left equipment on site. We take this responsibility seriously and will not be shoved around by people regardless of how convincing they are. Equally we provide a warm, professional welcome to authorised visitors and briefing to them of any safety concerns. In addition to this we provide a full visit report to client on who has attended the building.
At Gallowglass Security we take a comprehensive approach, to ensuring a property is secured quickly and effectively. We ensure that all members of our Property team are fully aware of the workings and running of each property, keeping our clients property safe and secure until their tenants are ready to take over the building in excellent working condition.


Why take this professional approach?

After the builders have left, there are always teething problems and knowledge gaps for the new tenant. Ensuring that you can close this knowledge gap is crucial to a building owner’s new customer. As a result we undertake a thorough hand-over on behalf of the buildings owner, ensuring everything is in working condition, before handing the building over to the new tenant through a further comprehensive handover.

What is involved in the handover?


We have a nine point check-list of duties to ensure the security of the property. We undertake these daily and every new guard double checks on the guard before, taking photographic evidence along the way, which is filed in an electronic report.


Our nine-point checking process includes:

  1. Fire and evacuation
    Our first responsibility, before anything else, is to identify all the fire exists and the assembly areas. Making sure that we keep people who may be on the premises safe is of critical importance to us.
  2. Alarms
    Most buildings have fire and intruder alarms that need regular testing on certain days at certain times. This helps to ensure they are working appropriately and also ensures that when the alarm goes at an irregular time, we know what to do and the appropriate authorities are alerted in a timely fashion.
  3. Access control systems
    Access control systems are often overlooked; however, providing access to visitors is crucial, especially when you have new tenants undertaking a recce of the building. Ensuring we know how to operate all the access and entry systems for deliveries and the front of house is crucial.
  4. Main location of work and welfare
    We ensure that we capture photographs of the main working areas and the building to identify any issues that may occur. This helps reassure our clients that we are undertaking checks regularly and any problems that may arise are spotted early.
  5. Post
    New building owners are always going to receive post and deliveries before the moving-in day. Ensuring all post is filed correctly and all deliveries are signed for is critical to ensuring a smooth start for a new tenant or building owner. As a result, our staff learn about the businesses moving into the building to ensure that all their post is categorised appropriately and finds its way to the right owners one moving-in day.
  6. Computer and phones
    Every reception desk has a computer and telephone. Ensuring our staff know how to use the systems is critical to the efficient running of the building.
  7. Keys and Codes
    Typically, new buildings will have anything up to 200 bunches of keys which will equate to 600 individual keys. The project manager will hand these over with an associated list, we immediately audit these keys to ensure none are missing. This is a laborious task and typically we expect to find between 3%-9% error. If required we will also label and provide appropriate storage.
  8. Internal patrols
    One of the most important parts of our role is to undertake an internal inspection of all floors, rooms and corridors. This includes checking all fire-exits are clear, there are no leaks, defective pipes or lightbulbs and ensuring no rubbish is left lying around untidily. We ensure our staff check all the taps, radiators and loos, to ensure that everything is working, reporting any problems to the building owner in detail.
  9. External patrols
    Our external patrol is also incredibly important. This helps us identify any security threats to the building, external damage, rubbish, defects or those that may have chosen to sleep rough. Whilst externally inspecting the building we check all emergency access routes. Look for open windows, especially on ground floor and further up the building.

Protecting a building requires a professional and thorough approach, a thorough process and exceptional customer service. Our nine point plan ensures we deliver the top guarding and front of house service for our customers.

A blue and white map of West & Central London

Front of House and security services for a premier London location

Written by George Oliver on . Posted in Articles.

Gallowglass Security, working with Cluttons – an international firm of chartered surveyors – has been providing Front of House services and 24-hour security for the former MI6 headquarters in London. The 72,000 square foot, Grade A commercial property in the heart of London was originally constructed in the 1920’s as the headquarters for MI6. It was occupied under the guise of the “Minimax Fire Extinguisher Company” to maintain its secrecy.

Since MI6 and the latest tenants have left the building, it has undergone a complete refurbishment to provide high-quality, Grade A office space.

Gallowglass Security has been securing the property in advance of the next tenants moving in, with a focus on high calibre front of house services whilst managing the day-to-day signing-in contractors whilst ensuring a high-level of customer service is maintained when potential tenants arrive to view the building.

The on-site staff managing the property are supported by the head-office team. This ensures the new tenants have the appropriate risk assessments and method statements available to them prior to taking on the tenancy.

The short-term contract to secure the site and prepare the building for its new tenants has been underway for the last two weeks.

George Oliver, the Head of Gallowglass Security’s property division said: “This is an example of a high-quality team delivering a flexible and effective service for our clients. Our remit is not only the protection of the building, but front of house services, ensuring all guests and staff receive a warm and professional welcome. We take pride in our ability to deliver services above and beyond those you would expect from a security company. We ensure a consistent, professional and secure service throughout the building.”

A stock photograph showing an alarm clock amidst a pile of money, which has been arranged in ascending increments.

What you need to know: High Court Writ of Possession and Control – recovering historical rent arrears.

Written by George Oliver on . Posted in Articles.

A famous restaurant in London has recently made the headlines due to a landmark case brought against this London establishment by the building’s owner. The owner is “demanding that the Wolseley’s operators Corbin & King pay all of the almost £1m of rent debt that built up while the restaurant was closed during coronavirus lockdowns” according to the Financial Times. Corbin and King have referred to the clause in their contract that states the company is not entitled to pay rent whilst unable to operate, which was signalled by the numerous lockdowns. This issue is one that is playing out up and down the country. According to the same article, estimates suggest that there is £6.4bn in unpaid rent across the UK. All of which could have an enormous impact on our city centres and high streets across the UK.

Here we look at what powers there are to pursue for rent and how tenants can get support to help manage the payments that landlords may legally be entitled to.

What is a High Court Writ of Control?

A high court writ of control is a document obtained via a designated high court enforcement officer, of a debt of £600.00 or greater. The writ itself can be obtained via a standard CCJ, or in this case, can be issued through a combined writ of possession and control whereby historical rent arrears are recoverable. It allows our enforcement officers to levy goods up to and including the value of the writ.

How do I obtain a High Court Writ of Control?

Once you have a CCJ or a possession order outlining rent arrears, Gallowglass Enforcement offers a variety of services. We offer evictions, as well as attempted recovery of the rent arrears, using experienced enforcement agents with an abundance of industry experience. Once the ‘transfer-up’ process is competed the writ will be assigned to one of our accredited enforcement agents to recover the outstanding debt.  The ‘transfer-up’ process is the process of gaining a high court writ of control from a CCJ or a possession order from the county court.

What powers does this give me to pursue a former tenant?

You can pursue the debtor for your money as long as it is within six years of the original county court judgment. A high court writ of control affords our enforcement agents the right to levy goods should the debtor decide not to pay. Our enforcement agents can also force entry to commercial premises. There is a clear advantage of using high court enforcement rather than county court, where combined warrants are not possible; the county court bailiff does not work at a commission rate so there is no incentive to chase diligently. Gallowglass also offers a tracing service, therefore enforcement on historical tenants will prove fruitful assuming a forwarding address is found.

What powers does my tenant have?

Your tenant can contest the debt by applying to the court to get the judgment set aside. This would be via Part 13 of setting aside of varying default judgment. Since rent arrears originate from non-payment of a contractual obligation on the part of the tenant, they would therefore have little if no recourse for rebuttal. However, each defence from each tenant would have its own merits and the judge would make these decisions accordingly, should the tenant choose to contest the writ. However, at the point of the writ of control issue the judge may find that the debtor has had numerous opportunities to either pay the debt, or enter mediation with the claimant.

Who can offer support to my former tenant?

There are a variety of debt support and relief services, the Citizens Advice Bureau, stepchange.org and nationaldebtline.org to name a few. They may also choose to contest the debt using their own chosen legal professional.

A security officer with a baseball cap shines a flashlight at something of interest off screen.

Demand for street patrols is back on the rise – what you need to know!

Written by George Oliver on . Posted in Articles.

Over the course of COVID-19 lockdowns, cities and councils across the UK and continent saw a decreasing number of rough sleepers on the street. This was largely due to efforts by the authorities and charities to house the rough sleepers in hotels. As a result, many rough sleepers were able to access the help they needed from charities around the reasons why they had ended up on the street.

This has helped decrease the number of rough sleepers on the streets; however, where the rough sleepers have returned, they have concentrated on smaller areas populated by tourists, local residents, shoppers and restaurants. 

With the opening up of the UK to tourism, there has also been a marked rise in the number of organised beggars, especially around some the country’s shopping and eating areas. With this rise, there has been an increased demand for street patrol units to ensure that those most in need of help are able to access support.

If you are looking for street patrol support, here is a reminder of some of the top questions we are asked:

WHAT ARE STREET/FOOT PATROLS?

Street Patrols are made up of a two-man foot patrol team who are dedicated to a small area such as a retail stretch or a Business improvement district (BID). The team patrol the area providing help and support to all visitors to the area.

Our security officers engage with retailers, supporting in incidents such as shop lifting, direct outreach services to those sleeping rough and liaise and maintain a strong working relationship with local dedicated ward officers from the police services. We provide the local force with local intelligence, collecting CCTV and providing reports. This reduces pressure on their services and increases crime prevention.

WHAT DOES A STREET SECURITY TEAM DO?

Their first responsibility is customer service to all visitors to an area. We are often the first people that visitors interact with, and we are also a point of contact for tenants on behalf of landowners. Therefore, we reflect our client and are there to support and relay information to management teams to make strategic decisions.

WHY DO YOU NEED STREET/FOOT PATROLS?

The urban policing structure has changed. Although the numbers of dedicated ward officers have been maintained their areas of responsibility have increased, therefore their impact has reduced. This has been driven by a focus on counter terrorism and not on neighbourhood policing. This has seen a well-documented rise in street crime, especially on individuals and retailers. Many are targeted for their mobile phones. Street patrols act as a genuine deterrent to this type of behaviour and the improvement in areas where we work can be demonstrated by the metropolitan police own data.

HOW DO STREET/FOOT PATROLS WORK?

The two-man team focus on a designated area, this can often change throughout a day where they take on specific responsibilities depending on what is required. Typically, retailers require support in the day and restaurant areas need support at lunch and in the evening. The team aim to quickly build a rapport with shop managers, restaurant staff and front of house teams in hotel and office sectors. The team visit and collect data and general information which is collated in detailed reports and shared with the client which may be a landowner or a group of local businesses. The data is able to provide information on trends and concerns.

WHAT LICENSES DO STREET PATROL SECURITY HAVE?

All Gallowglass Security team members have a front-line SIA licence and receive a number of valuable training courses including ACT action counters terrorism, identifying vulnerable adults, fire marshalling, health and safety, customer service, and emergency communications. As a result, they are well equipped to manage a range of issues that they may face, seamlessly supporting the police, fire and ambulance services.

Gallowglass are also part of the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS).

A security officer of Gallowglass Security on duty at Kew Gardens.

19 July 2021 – Freedom Day

Written by Anna on . Posted in Articles.

The appointment of the new Health Secretary Javid on the 26th June, signalled a positive change in the mood music for the events and hospitality industry, which was confirmed by yesterdays announcement that stage 4 of the lock down road map will proceed as scheduled. The key changes that effect the events and hospitality industry can be summarised as follows:

  • Nightclubs can open
  • Pubs and restaurants no longer table-service only
  • No limits on guests at weddings and funerals
  • No limits on people attending concerts, theatres or sports events
  • No restrictions on communal worship

Despite the caveats and qualifications that came with Prime Minister Johnsons announcement yesterday, and with the sword of Damocles hanging over this vital industry with the proliferation of the transmission of the Delta variant, this is still welcome news.

Gallowglass Security would be delighted to assist you as a security provider in any capacity required. We are skilful, adept and highly experienced in providing security for all manner of events ranging from product promotions, FTSE 100 corporate GM’s , corporate hospitality, private parties , weddings, film shoots through to outdoor concerts and cultural festivals.

We can provide well led, dynamic and highly trained security personnel at very short notice if your lead in times are short, and are available to support you and clients from all our service sectors 24/7, 365 days of the year.

Our Covid experience provides an extra layer of comfort for all buyers of security services. During the pandemic we have provided security for the Greater London Authority (and still do) as well as other London Boroughs at Hotels accommodating rough sleepers.

Consequently we have formulated our own Covid awareness training, and have delivered this in face to face tool box training to all guards in a customer facing role. The author of our innovative and highly effective Covid safety measures is a graduate teacher who holds the coveted NEBOSH diploma and is also qualified by BSI as a lead  auditor in the ISO 45001 (occupational health & safety) standard.

As control measures are expected, though not mandated by the government, we are uniquely equipped to enforce any control measures you are minded to implement, or are required to if such measures feature as license requirements.

So if you need security, please call us 02073267840 or contact us on dutyops@galsec.co.uk

A Gallowglass Security officer on duty at the Wimbledon screening in Brown Hart Gardens in Mayfair.

Gallowglass Support for Wimbledon Screenings

Written by Stuart Rae on . Posted in Articles.

After the long bleak Covid winter, the Wimbledon Championships resumes its rightful place at the heart of the British summer’s sporting calendar with the hosting  by All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon London of the world’s premier Grand Slam tennis tournament; and the only Grand Slam tournament played on grass.

The Wimbledon Championships are a quintessentially English affair, steeped in timeless tradition and gentility. The gentle atmosphere though belies the ferocious competition amongst the players for the kudos of being named Wimbledon Champion. Notwithstanding tradition, the competition evolves with 2021 seeing the final end to “manic Monday “with the middle Sunday being open to play on account of advances in grass technology and maintenance.

For those who don’t have the time or a ticket to go to Wimbledon, there are opportunities in London to enjoy the tennis on the big screen and the magical atmosphere it evokes; and this is not confined to Henman Hill or Murray Mount or could it be renamed Raducanu Rump following her stellar progress through the tournament as a wild card entrant?

We’re delighted at Gallowglass to provide low key security support for the live streaming of Wimbledon at Belgravia’s Halkin Arcade and Mayfair’s Brown Hart Gardens. At these elegant locations there is an opportunity to relax in the deck chairs with the essential glass of Pimm’s and punnet of strawberries, and enjoy the competition and the unique Wimbledon atmosphere.

Our amazing team: Brown Hart Gardens Elias, Rebeca, Nazif and Mohamed; Halkin Arcade team : Marta, Saad and Ousseynou.

Gallowglass security officer providing security support for a COVID walk-in vaccination clinic in Lambeth, London.

Security support for LB Lambeth Covid Walk In Vaccination Clinics

Written by Stuart Rae on . Posted in Articles.

The Covid pandemic has seen Gallowglass Security providing extensive security support to the Greater London Authority (GLA) , the City of Westminster, the London Boroughs of Lambeth, Ealing, Havering, and Waltham Forest . This is all part of their collective effort to protect the vulnerable together with implementing mass testing and the vaccination programme.

With the growing spread of the Delta variant, the need to accelerate the momentum of the vaccination programme to secure herd immunity has never been more vital. We were delighted to have been invited by the London Borough of Lambeth to provide security support to them with the set up of walk in clinics in various locations within the community, for eligible residents to receive their Covid vaccination.

This imaginative effort is a collaboration between the London Borough of Lambeth and NHS South East London Clinical Commissioning Group, who have worked in partnership with local community groups to reach out to those residents who have not yet taken up the invitation to be vaccinated. This need has arisen to ease access for those who are elderly, or are carers, or with underlying medical issues that can make it difficult to get to vaccination centres. Also it is a way of accessing some communities where the uptake has been lower. These clinics offer advice and support for those who do not have a GP, to register there and then, so they can receive their vaccine straight away.

Today we are supporting the walk in clinic at Loughborough Park, and have deployed SIA licensed Richard Molina to protect all staff at the Clinic as well has upholding the Covid and Health & Safety regulations on site. As with all Gallowglass guards he has benefited from our outstanding Covid awareness safety training programme. He is an ideal choice on account of his personability as well as capacity for firmness. Being fluent in Spanish and English means also that he reflects the profile of that part of the community which in turn eases communication.

If you would like to find out more about where and when these clinics are taking place in South London ,please check selondonccg.nhs.uk as updates are being regularly provided. Eligibility for the vaccine is determined by both age and risk factors, so to check your eligibility please click on this link. www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/who-can-get-the-vaccine/

A closeup figure of a woman crying behind a facemask.

Reflecting on the 365 days since the country went into lockdown.

Written by Giles Turnbull on . Posted in Articles.

Today marks the one-year anniversary of lockdown in the UK. While some restrictions were occasionally lifted, March 23rd, 2020 to March 23rd, 2021 has been a year like no other.

Many people have sadly lost their lives to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving us to mourn the loss of family and friends. Many of our business partners and friends, especially across the hospitality and events industry, have had to manage enormous impacts on their businesses and their staff, some even closing their doors permanently.

Today, at Gallowglass Security, we have reflected on the past year. All those the country has lost and all those businesses that will not be opening their doors again.

The challenge of the COVID-19 virus has brought out the best in a lot of people. The pandemic and other people’s suffering has seen individuals, businesses, charities and governments work together. We have been lucky to partner with some of those organisations and individuals. As we have reflected, we have thought about the amazing work of some of those organisations and individuals and how their actions made a difference.

Helping the homeless

Special praise must be given to those that helped the homeless throughout the pandemic. Numerous charities and partners came forward to support these often-maligned individuals.

Hotels lent their empty rooms while governments and charities paid the bills, making it all possible. We were fortunate to support Crisis, the GLA, St Mungos and Westminster Council throughout the pandemic and see the impact of their work.

All these organisations deserve immense credit for being relentless in raising this issue in the public and political consciousness and making it happen.

The testing and vaccination centres

In the early stages of the virus’s spread, testing centres were set up across the country to understand the virus and how it was transmitted. In more recent months, vaccination centres have been popping up, helping with the remarkable roll-out of the vaccination program.

The individuals, volunteers and the local governments behind this roll-out, fulfilling the testing and vaccinations, deserve huge credit. We have seen their efforts firsthand in Lambeth. The individuals undertaking the testing have put themselves in harms way to ensure the health of others.

While we were working with them, we became greatly aware of the selflessness of the individuals who conducted the testing and administered the vaccine. They worked tirelessly to get the virus under control and deserve great praise for their ongoing efforts.

Security personnel

When reflecting on the past year, we have often thought about our staff, the wider security sector and the individuals within it. A large amount of our industry’s work went with the lockdown.

However, when many of us were working at home, keeping ourselves and our families safe, those within the security sector continued working.

For our part, our staff have selflessly gone about their jobs, supporting clients and customers throughout, often putting themselves in harms way against a hidden virus.

While many of the security industry may be overlooked, we believe they deserve great praise for their efforts throughout the crisis. Whether they were protecting vaccination centres, hospitals, empty office buildings, people’s homes, businesses or the homeless, they went to work every day to protect others and what matters most to them.

Garbutt Place, Marylebone, London.

Octavia Hill 1838-1912 Social reformer and founder of The National Trust 1a Garbutt Place, Marylebone

Written by George Oliver on . Posted in Articles.

During our work we regularly encounter people in far less fortunate situations than ourselves. This has led us to run extended projects with estate clients, Westminster council and outreach teams where we direct and support those living on the street. During COVID there are many who are unaware of how to connect with the wide range of excellent services available to them, making the role of our teams on the ground ever more important. Our work has been varied from specific medium-term projects to ongoing work done by our foot patrol teams in Marylebone and Bloomsbury and also our response teams on a day-to-day basis. Whist visiting the team undertaking our street patrols and property inspections, I spotted the blue plaque of Octavia Hill in Garbutt place. Although she is best known for being a founding member of the national trust her achievements went beyond this and are very relevant today.


Born into a family of strained finances Octavia Hill was unable to complete a formal education. This did not stop her pioneering not only social housing but social work and shaping the modern landscape. She believed that it was impossible to “deal with people and their houses separately” identifying that where and how we live has a direct impact peoples lives.
Octavia Hill worked with ruthless self-discipline and determination, identifying dilapidated housing and worked with private investors to provide sustainable housing for London’s urban poor. The first of which was on Paradise Place in London’s Marylebone, which later changed its name to Garbutt Place where her plaque is today. The buildings were anything but Paradise, most of the stairs and floor boards had been used by the tenants for firewood and were the worst of Victorian slums. She believed in a partnership between tenant and land lord, where there was responsibility to provide quality housing by one and maintenance by the other.


This led here to lay the foundation stones of not only social housing but also social work. Whilst collecting the rent on a weekly basis she used the opportunity to get to know the tenants and develop a community. Her understanding and insight led to the Settlements Movement, founded on her belief that social harmony was only achievable with mixed communities. This would prevent slums and ghetto type areas emerging. As a city London differs from so many around the globe because of this believe in social mixing, even Mayfair one of the most affluent areas in the world has a very significant amount of social housing provided by organisations such as the Peabody Trust.


Her influence is not felt just in London but hold influences worldwide, the Octavia Hill Association of Philadelphia was founded in her memory to provide housing to low and middle income city residents.
Octavia Hill identified a housing need for key workers more than an century before it became a phrase so often used today.

Her influence was not just on the urban and social landscape, fighting to prevent urban sprawl and thus saving both Hampstead Heath and Parliament Hill Fields from development. This green space is always of great value to London residents rich or poor but even more so in the currant time of lock down. She is also credited with coining the term “green belt”, a term and idea used and appreciated by all of us.


Her most famous legacy is almost centrally the founding of the National Trust, saving important buildings for the nation. This however is only one part of her incredible achievements on the urban, suburban, rural and social landscape of the UK and beyond.

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