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
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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
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.
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.
The government’s announcement that lockdown measures will end on the 21st June, has brought welcome relief to the hard hit events industry. There is clear optimism amongst event producers, that this vibrant and exciting sector is poised to bounce back. It has been clear to us that this optimism has been gathering at a pace prior to the recent announcement. This is reflected by high volume of queries that we have received from producers requiring event security provision this Summer. The hardship of the last 12 months, we believe, has created a real demand from event goers for the live entertainment experience, which will spark a revival in live events this year.
Gallowglass Security’s lockdown activity
Throughout lockdown, Gallowglass has provided security guards to a large number of public sector and charitable bodies. These include, the GLA, City of Westminster, the London Boroughs of Lambeth, Ealing, Havering, Waltham Forest, St Mungo’s and Crisis. The security aim of on behalf of these clients has been to enforce stringent anti-Covid measures to keep people safe. All this, whilst ensuring that we have the necessary measures in place to minimise the risk to our guard force. We continue to provide security at various London hotels that temporarily accommodate highly vulnerable rough sleepers. Additionally, we currently provide security guards and Covid marshals in the London boroughs of Ealing and Lambeth. Their purpose is to successfully manage the control measures at the Covid testing and mass rollout vaccination centers.
The Gallowglass Security approach
Our experience in the event sector has been invaluable in our providing effective anti-Covid security regimes. There has been the necessary up skilling of our guard force to deal with the specific challenges that Covid presents. The Gallowglass approach though, remains the same. Our aims are always to secure the desired outcomes for our clients. We deliver this through extensive planning and risk assessment before the start of any contract; together with the deployment of well briefed and led guards with the correct skill set for the task in hand. All this together with frontline service delivery that is effective and friendly; and where use of initiative is encouraged, and leadership valued. By virtue of necessity, our lead in times for assignments can be very short. Gallowglass has illustrated, time and time again, it’s remarkable capacity to deliver all security services at very short notice. We pride ourselves on our ability to react and deliver our services at short notice, 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.
The effect of our lockdown experience
An unintended, but positive consequence of the crisis is that it has strengthened and improved us. Our personnel and operating processes have been stress tested, and have excelled. Adversity has bred innovation, with an original and dynamic approach to both health and safety and training, being a very good example of this.
Final thoughts from Gallowglass Security’s Managing Partner – Giles Turnbull
“ I have been hugely impressed by how my team has adapted and evolved to meet the challenges posed by the pandemic. The whole of Gallowglass Security have shown admirable determination and intelligence, to overcome the myriad of problems presented by Covid .With the creative buzz of live events set to make its welcome recovery, we return to where we came from. We have always set and delivered very high standards for ourselves in all that we do. I have no doubt that our Covid experience has improved upon this, and that the quality of our event security services will go onto play a significant role in the success of live events this Summer.”
Amr Fadl 50, is Gallowglass Security’s Service Delivery Manager. His input has been crucial in establishing the very high levels of Customer Service throughout the Company with a particular emphasis on front of house for both Commercial and Residential properties.
Born in Cairo from a family established in the Egyptian Film industry, Amr gained a degree in Accountancy from Cairo University, before performing a years National Service in the Egyptian Army’s Pay Corps.
Married with two sons, Amr moved to London in 1994. He entered the Hotel Industry, swiftly ascending the ranks from casual waiter at functions, to joining the Concierge Department of the Royal Garden Hotel in 2003. Simultaneously to working full time, he pursued his childhood passion for Art and Photography by gaining a BA (hons) degree in Art at Surrey University in 2001.
Prior to joining Gallowglass, Amr also worked as a Concierge at the Montcom, Ritz and Brown’s Hotels. His mature, calm and professional demeanour made an immediate impact on both colleagues and clients. His remit swiftly expanded to bringing five star hotel concierge levels of service, to all Gallowglass front of house assignments. Engendering trust and confidence, he applies the Concierge motto of “Leave it to me, I’ll take care of it”. Whatever the need or request, like a swan, he carries out his tasks in an apparently effortless manner.
Asked about the key elements in delivering peerless customer service, Amr said: “All too often training for customer service roles within the security industry entail a box ticking exercise which fail to address the most important aspect, which is the human element.
Time must be given to each individual deployed. It is essential to get to know them, engage with them and help them be the best they can be. staff must not only fully understand the technical and process elements of the task, but go so much further. The key to customer service lies in the attitude of the staff. I am looking for people with the right attitude, above all I am looking for genuine empathy. With this bedrock of character, front of house personnel can be taught and developed to manage clients and visitors. Be approachable, friendly and helpful, but never cross the line into familiarity. All people are individuals and front of house staff must understand this, and should be capable of a nuanced approach to customer service.”
As part of the continuous development plan of all Gallowglass security personnel, along with more specific subjects such as fire-marshall, Covid training and diversity training, customer service is one of the pillars of Gallowglass Security’s offering.
Besides his sterling contribution to Gallowglass Security, Amr still finds the time for his art and photography. Over the years he has exhibited in many private galleries as well as Olympia and Chelsea Town Hall. Below are some of his works and much more can be seen on his website www.amrfadl.art.
Geometric composition III Oil on CanvasTemple I Acrylic on canvasTemple II Acrylic on canvasGuggenheim BilbaoVenice IVAlcazar, Cordoba
The unfolding Covid 19 crisis highlighted the perilous predicament facing rough sleepers from the heightened risk of Covid transmission. This being on account of a myriad of factors, notably; that many have chronic physical and mental health problems which are often heightened by substance misuse, the inability to self isolate, the absence of basic hygiene facilities, together with a peripatetic lifestyle.
We believe that the leadership of the Greater London Authority (GLA) deserve immense credit for being relentless in raising this issue in the public and political consciousness at a very early stage of the emerging pandemic. All this as well as maintaining it in the public profile, and providing the political impetus and means to ensure that relief was provided in the form of accommodating this highly vulnerable group at various London hotels.
The admirable and highly committed St Mungo’s charity, were commissioned to provide rough sleeping services at the hotels, and throughout the pandemic been at the vanguard in providing a variety of essential and invaluable outreach support to those being temporarily housed in hotels across the capitol.
We were invited by the GLA to provide security support at hotels under their responsibility, an invitation that we had no hesitation in accepting despite the challenges and uncertainty brought about by the pandemic. Ultimately we reacted as we always do, with alacrity, and deployed carefully selected and well briefed teams of guards at various locations, with the tasks of ensuring the safety of the residents, outreach workers and hotel staff as well as enacting any and all special instructions received on site.
As the pandemic worsened, we were assigned to provide security regimes for more hotels under the aegis of the GLA; as well as expanding our involvement into the London Boroughs of Westminster, Havering, Waltham Forest and most recently, on behalf of the long standing and renowned homeless charity Crisis.
For Gallowglass this assignment represented a paradigm shift from the range of services we are accustomed to providing, not least because of the absence of any formal guidance on security provision at the front line amongst a demographic profile of persons at a high risk of Covid transmission.
Undaunted though, our guard force was carefully selected on the grounds of their skillset and aptitude for this work, and were comprehensively briefed and rapidly deployed. Despite national shortages of PPE at the time of initial deployment, we were able to procure it, and equip all guards with it. Simultaneously all sites were rigoursly and critically risk assessed so establish safe systems of work for them.
Drawing on advice and subsequent updates from bodies such as Public Health England and the NHS, our H&S Manager assimilated the scientific advice and then distilled and adapted it in the form of a series of highly unique security relevant training syllabus’s. These Covid specific training modules have been, and continue to be updated and delivered on site on a one to one basis in the form of toolbox training.
We believe that this highly considered approach has been instrumental in building awareness and understanding of the very specific challenges posed, and has ultimately cultivated the necessary skill sets and understanding that has contributed to our guards excelling in such a unique environment.
As with all, it is our hope that oncoming vaccines mark the beginning of the end of this pandemic. Until vaccines are clearly entrenched throughout the population and their efficacy thereby established, rough sleepers will continue to require the support that local government provides along with dedicated and skilful charities. We remain on hand to assist whenever and wherever required, especially over the Christmas period.
Managing Partner Giles Turnbull says.
“This is and remains a remarkable project, and one that we regard ourselves as privileged to be involved in on account of its inestimable social value. It’s successful delivery is a result of a highly collegiate effort, where our staff have been encouraged to draw on their intelligence, accumulated knowledge and experience, and apply their initiative for the benefit and success of this project .
The final word must go to the guards on the ground who have shown great professionalism selflessness, determination and effectiveness in delivering our security services. There are many who have distinguished themselves and I thank them all. Particular commendations though must go to Adedotun Ajao, Mohammed Ismail, Grzegorz Grabowicki, Amir Khattab, Ashley Campbell and Yuri Asenov all of whom have been particularly outstanding.”
