Police alert – Bogus LFB Inspections on Businesses

Southwark Safe BCRP would like to share the following communication that has been sent to us from the MET Business Crime Reduction Hub.

The MPS Business Crime Hub has received information from a security company in the City that there is a group of 3 people travelling around London conducting Fire Safety Inspections on business premises. No further descriptions of the group is available, but the MO is quite distinctive.

They have been doing a tour of selected buildings within the City to check the condition of Fire Doors, and have advised that any fire door held open (by artificial means, not designed hold opens) or that does not close properly have more than a pound coin gap between the closed door will incur a fire of £5000 per door.

They are travelling in a group of 3, claiming to be an officer from the local fire station, an inspecting officer and a plain clothes police officer.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) have been contacted and state that they are not conducting the inspections. It is not clear what the exact intentions of the group are, whether they are planning to collect money from the fines or whether burglary is the motive.