Aired on Monday 23rd March, BBC London’s Inside Out programme investigated malpractice at two training centres offering security qualifications, and revealed that Midlands-based awarding body, Industry Qualifications, had fallen victim to fraud as a result.

Responding to the report, the Training Providers Section of the BSIA – the trade body representing the UK’s private security industry – underlines the importance of choosing a reputable training provider, which delivers high-quality training and adheres to appropriate Codes of Conduct and British Standards.

In selecting a training provider from the BSIA’s Training Providers Section end-users are assured that their supplier is reputable, with the background checks and vetting performed on all members of the Association providing added peace of mind. Moreover, members of the Section have developed their own voluntary Code of Conduct, which stipulates stringent standards of professional integrity on which membership of the section depends.

Anthony Rabbitt, Chairman of the BSIA’s Training Providers Section, comments: “The BSIA is committed to sustaining high standards in performance and training in the security industry, and totally endorses the stance adopted by the BBC in this programme."

Raymond Clarke, Chief Executive of IQ, said: “We are deeply disappointed that an IQ centre appears to have been involved in malpractice. Despite requesting details of the evidence for some four weeks now from the BBC, which would have enabled IQ to conduct its own enquiry, our first viewing of the evidence was on the BBC programme this evening.

"On face value, the evidence would appear to be damning, but we need to move very quickly to confirm the allegations and identify the scale of the problem. IQ has undertaken three external verification visits to Ashley Commerce College in the past twelve months which did not unearth malpractice. We will review our practices in light of the BBC footage and as more details emerge, to determine whether different approaches might have identified the issue at an earlier stage.”

As reported in the programme, IQ has a zero tolerance approach to malpractice and fraud and will work with regulators to report the matter to the police and play a full part in consequent criminal investigations.

Richard Moore, Commercial Director at industry sector skills body, Skills for Security, adds: “As the sector skills body for the private security industry, Skills for Security is committed to working with the industry to develop an accredited training provider programme as a response to demand from industry. It is hoped that this will provide additional safeguards against malpractice.”

Concluding, Anthony Rabbitt added: "Membership of the BSIA, including in the field of training, requires compliance with a rigorous code of conduct and accreditation with national standards organisations. Infractions of the BSIA code of conduct would lead to decisive and robust action to remove guilty parties from the Association.”