Money in rubbish Kingdom’s police and military enforcers have helped the company make millions

Kingdom Services boasts on its website that it is led by former police officers and those with a military background.

It has contracts to issue fixed penalty notices with more than 30 local authorities across England. With an £82 million turnover, it saw its profits in 2016 rise by a third year-onyear to £3.3million.

The company, run by husband and wife Terence and Agnes Barton, employs thousands of people to provide security, concierge and environmental

protection services. But there have been a number of complaints about the behaviour of its officers. The Telegraph

understands that at least two councils have decided not to renew their contracts with the company.

In Ealing in West London a petition calls for the council to sever all ties with Kingdom. Cllr Greg Stafford, Tory leader of the opposition, said: “I believe we have a problem with them targeting the low-hanging fruit of first-time or accidental offenders rather than focusing on criminal activity.”

Kingdom denied that its officers lie in wait or target first-time offenders, saying that they target all littering and any accusation of underhand practices would be a disciplinary matter.

The company said it was “inaccurate” to say officers are incentivised to hand out fines. It added that all its officers are given a week’s training and then shadow more senior officers for three months.