Whilst our Police Service do a great job, sadly they have been decimated with numbers greatly reduced by consecutive governments, as such they do not investigate some crimes such as fraud, burglary and car thefts, also there are no longer crime Prevention Officers who offer advice following a crime. So, it is likely you will need to use the services of a Private Investigator or Security Consultant.
Are Private Investigators Licensed?
The answer is simple, no they are not licensed in UK, there is no requirement by law for them to be so, unlike many European Countries. Most credible private investigators or security consultants are experienced from being in the police or military services and in addition have a qualification such as Pearson EDF Level 3 Award for Private Investigators (QCF) originally developed to meet the Security Industry Authority (SIA) specification for core competency training in anticipation of mandatory private investigator licensing. While the SIA does not currently license the industry in England and Wales, this qualification is seen as the gold standard for proving competency, professionalism, and ethics - https://private-investigator-training.org.uk/btec-professional-investigators-award
Consecutive Governments have considered licensing the profession, but none have got round to it, Surelock actually gave evidence to a Home Affairs Select Committee years ago when the then government were seriously looking at licensing, but again it was never enacted.
Belonging to a Professional Association.
It is however very important for private investigators to belong to a professional association, of which there are several, we have spent many years recruiting experts in their various fields to assist with all the services we offer, for the benefit of our clients we offer both an investigative and security consultancy service - https://www.surelock.org/about-us
We or our team are members of: -
The Association of British Investigators (ABI) - https://www.theabi.org.uk
The World Association of Detectives (WAD) - https://www.wad.net
Ex Police in Industry and Commerce (EPIC) - https://epic-uk.com
The Anti-Counterfeiting Group (ACG) - https://www.a-cg.org
The Association of Security Consultants (ASC) - https://www.a-cg.org
There are many such associations, but these are a selected few that cover the work that we do, gives us credibility, professionalism, integrity and a network of other professionals.
The Association of British Investigators
The prime association for us is The ABI established in 1913, it stands as the premier organisation in the UK's largely unregulated investigative sector. With the largest directory of accredited professional investigators in the UK and members worldwide, meeting rigorous membership standards, who take the lead in self-regulation and constantly advocate for greater accountability of legitimate professional investigators. The Law Society of England and Wales works with the ABI.
The ABI is there to support members of the public who need reassurance, clarification, or help navigating concerns about investigator behaviour, members -
are regulated through a code of ethics and professional standards
are free of criminal convictions
are free of monetary judgment or other insolvency
hold professional indemnity insurance
are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office
Sadly, there are a lot of cowboys in our industry, so make sure you hire a credible one, otherwise you could pay a lot and achieve nothing, with no recourse.
Why Might You Need a Private Investigator?
There are many reasons a business or private individual may need a private investigator -
Do you have suspicions that your partner is cheating on you?
Are you a business owner who suspects fraud may be taking place within your company?
Has somebody important to you run away or gone missing and the police have run out of resources?
Are you a Law Firm who needs professional help with an investigation or research?
Or an insurance company / litigator who requires professional surveillance services?
If you’re looking for a private investigator or security consultant, chances are you’re dealing with at least one of these issues. Private investigators act independently from traditional law enforcement and have the skills, equipment, and technology available to deal with both domestic and professional problems.
However, with the nature that comes with private investigation, you may be wondering if it’s ok to hire a private investigator. Both legally and morally yes, it is ok to hire a private investigator to help you get to the bottom of problems you may be experiencing in your life or business. It may seem invasive or even a breach of privacy to have your partner, employee, or even child surveyed, but any information gathered during a private investigation is kept strictly confidential between the investigator and the person who hired them.
Here at Surelock, we are experts when it comes to providing private investigation and security consultancy services, including surveillance, security surveys and bug sweeps, to our clients in London, all over UK and further afield if required. The company has been established since the 1990’s we strive to maintain a professional approach with each and every investigation we undertake and guarantee to conduct a thorough and unshakeable surveillance each and every time. As we are professionals in the industry with years of experience providing our services, we’re here to share with you everything a private investigator can offer you, and why it’s undoubtedly ok to hire one. Our testimonials from our clients speak for themselves - https://www.surelock.org/testimonial
What Can a Private Investigator Do?
Private investigators can help you with a variety of issues, whether this is to assist in criminal investigations, catch a cheating partner, or gather evidence of fraud. Our team at Surelock have come together to create a list of some of the main reasons why our clients come to us for our private investigation services.
Crime / Fraud Investigations
Both individuals and businesses can benefit from private investigation services where fraud may have occurred, being able to conduct surveillance and review documents to see whether fraud has indeed been committed. This can include credit card fraud, insurance fraud, and fraud, romance fraud, that could be taking place personally or within your business.
For businesses, private investigators can conduct background checks on potential employees to minimise the risk of issues occurring later should they have a history of fraud and can be used to investigate embezzlement claims or theft. Some of our team served on the Fraud Squad at Scotland Yard, sadly now defunct.
People Tracing
Tracing a person could be for locating a missing person, such as a runaway child, or for finding lost relatives. This process can be difficult, even impossible without the right level of training. Most people are limited to social media or the internet whereas private investigators have the tools necessary to conduct an in-depth investigation to trace a person, all in accordance with the rules of GDPR.
There may be times when the person who is being traced does not want to get in touch with the person looking for them, but private investigation services can track them down and provide you with peace of mind that they are safe or even visit them on your behalf.
Sweeping for Bugs
Whether you own a business and you’re worried about competitors and rivals using recording devices to listen in on your conduct, or you’re worried about a person accessing your home and planting devices, a private investigator can provide you with a thorough sweep of an area to make sure that your conversations are secure.
While listening devices and bugs may seem like something that’s only found in films or fiction, we have found them in various hotel rooms, conference halls, and even homes across London and the surrounding areas. Private information can be used as blackmail or can provide business competitors with information on how you are succeeding with your business. By hiring a private investigator to conduct a bug sweep, you can guarantee that your information will remain private and can’t be used in negative ways.
Surveillance
Surveillance is a major part of our business and integral to many investigations, to prove or disprove the fears of our clients or just to gather intelligence / evidence.
Whether it be corporate, accident injury or domestic / cheating partner surveillance we can help. Although as a private company we are not governed by the laws of Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA), but as good practice we adhere to this.
Brand Protection
Our brand protection team are one of the most successful in UK, being proactive and using our undercover and surveillance operatives, we have been responsible for some of the largest seizures of counterfeit goods, working together with the police and trading standards.
Brand protection is essential for businesses to safeguard their reputation and prevent unauthorised use of their intellectual property.
It helps maintain trust among customers and ensures that competitors do not take advantage of their brand equity.
Unfortunately, in today’s society someone is always looking for a quick way to make money or run a scam and this is usually at the expense of a genuine brand who have worked hard to build up their business over a number of years.
Counterfeiting is very much organised crime, as there is so much money to make, so it is important for businesses to deal with this professionally. Surelock are engaged by some of the biggest brands in the world.
Background Checks
Background checks are a great way to look into suspicious activity and provide you with ease about a person in your life, whether you are a business owner conducting a background check on a potential new hire, or an individual seeking to look out for a vulnerable person in the family.
Almost everybody has an online trail that can be found through Google or social media, however the information you may find won’t be hugely informative and most people can use social media to create an image of themselves that may not be entirely accurate. Private investigators have access to tools and equipment required to conduct a thorough search of the person you want checked, whether you want to look into fraud allegations, criminal convictions, or inconsistencies in claimed qualifications.
Though it can differ from firm to firm, process serving should be performed by a private investigator who has an understanding of the procedure chain and legal knowledge. Our private investigators at Surelock are experts at what they do and have all the skills and knowledge required to provide reliable process serving services.
There are many reasons why you may consider using a private investigator. We could go on all day about the services you can receive and the outcomes they offer, but if you would like to know more, check out the services we here at Surelock provide both for domestic and commercial purposes, including brand protection and security survey assessments.
Security Consultancy.
A security survey conducted by experienced security consultants is an independent review with a fresh pair of eyes that can identify quickly if any aspect of Home or Business Security is lacking or could be enhanced, most times at very little cost and can give great peace of mind to the occupants of any building - https://www.surelock.org/services/security-surveys-assessments
Martyn’s Law - Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025.
Surelock are well versed in this important legislation and available for consultations or training - https://www.surelock.org/services/martyns-law don’t leave it till the last minute!
Our costs
We are not the type of company that quotes a fee and spends it regardless of the outcome, we work strictly to an hourly rate, we want to achieve the best results for you, so for investigations it is £80 per hour and surveillance it is £60 per hour per operative, plus travel expenses, full details on request.
Looking for more information? Contact Surelock today!
If you would like to know more about what a private investigator or security consultant can or cannot do, or if you’re still on the fence about the legality and morality of hiring an investigator, our team can help! Get in touch today for more information or to arrange your investigation services! We’re only a phone call away and can’t wait to hear from you, we are happy to discuss your needs and offer the best possible solutions.
C: www.surelock.org/contact-us
T: 0333 6000 300
