Security firm has its say after arson report

THE private security firm hired to patrol Southport town centre has issued a rare public statement following vandalism in King’s Gardens.

Battle Investigations, a normally secretive firm, has taken the unusual step after a Southport business owner highlighted a recent incident in the press.

Pleasureland owner Norman Wallis revealed that his security staff had seen a small group starting a fire in King’s Garden last week.

He then called for a cost-effective solution to the anti-social behaviour (ASB).

The Liverpool-based firm has now hit back, saying that it has been operating in the town for five years and patrols the businesses it has signed up and additional areas.

A spokesman for the company said: “We have been operating in Southport for five years before launching this new costeffective scheme in February 2016, at the request of Southport Business Watch.

“Upwards of 45 businesses across Southport have signed up.

“Patrols enter Southport each evening and are in Southport continuously at weekends and public holidays. They operate in both marked and unmarked vehicles with town centre patrols carried out on foot.

“Our primary role is the protection of the property and assets of our contracted clients and secondary to that are the intelligence gathering, assistance and security of civic and community assets as requested by Cllr David Barton in July 2016.

“We make no extra charge for this as we too can see Cllr Barton’s vision to preserve Southport’s heritage and believe that in these times of austerity everyone should pull together.

“It should be noted that some perpetrators of ASB are often abusive and violent and we advise the public not to tackle any issues they witness but to call the police.”