Unlicensed doorman in court

AN ORMSKIRK-BASED doorman who was repeatedly caught working without a licence and hiring other unlicensed staff – including a Burscough man – has been prosecuted for a second time.

Lloyd Irwin, a former director of Hunter Irwin Security Specialists Ltd, was found working illegally at a Lancashire pub on multiple occasions in December 2019 and January 2020.

The Ormskirk resident did not hold Security Industry Authority (SIA) licence but had worked the doors at Accrington’s Berkeley Club regardless.

In September 2020, he was handed a 12 month community order, 80 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £850 after Security Industry Authority investigators, responding to a report of unlicensed door staff, worked with Lancashire Police and Hyndburn Council’s Licensing Officer to uncover a pattern of illegal working at the club.

Irwin, of Edgley Drive, was brought back before Blackburn Magistrates Court in January in relation to further charges including working without a licence and two counts of being a director deploying unlicensed guards.

During the investigation, he illegally altered evidence he put before the SIA.

The 25-year-old pleaded guilty to all charges at court and was ordered to pay a further £574 in fines, prosecution costs and a victim surcharge.

His former business was also prosecuted for supply of unlicensed security and fined £1,000 alongside court costs and a victim surcharge totalling £458.

When inspecting the Berkeley Club Lancashire Police and Hyndburn Council had found Irwin and Daniel Webb working without a licence.

Having initially pleaded not guilty Webb, 24, of Chislett Close, Burscough, pleaded guilty at Blackburn Magistrates’ Court on December 17, 2020 to working illegally on January 18 that year. He was sentenced to a 12-month conditional discharge and required to pay £100 court costs and a £21 victim surcharge.

With criminal records, neither will be able to work in the security industry.