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.

All Fire Officers carrying out fire audits and inspections have to carry ID and will produce it.

Our advice is that if all businesses should regularly review their security procedures and:

Have a procedure in place for booking visitors in and out of the building (some companies require visitors to pre-book their visit).
Create a visitor pass for each visitor that specifically details who they are and where they are allowed to be. Colour code the pass so that you and other staff can clearly identify who is a visitor.
Require visitors to be escorted at all times to ensure they do not enter restricted areas.
Adopt a ‘challenge culture’ to anybody that is not wearing a visitor pass in restricted areas.
Always ensure visitors return their passes before they leave the building. Have a system in place to enable you to account for how many visitor passes have been issued and returned. Notify your management of any missing passes.
Have a system in place for accepting deliveries to one agreed location, especially those that are unplanned. Do not get distracted – always ask for identification and if necessary phone the company to confirm identity before allowing access.

Remain vigilant and report anything suspicious – in an emergency call 999. For further information about Safer London Business Partnership, click on the image below