The private security firm 'Battle Investigations' has contributed no known benefit towards the security of Southport's town centre, the Southport Area Committee was told last night during the town's quarterly police forum.



Sefton North Inspector Graham Fisher

Replying to questions at the public Town Hall meeting, Sefton North Inspector Graham Fisher said that his local police force had no record of any contribution to local crime fighting coming from the firm although there had, apparently, been one or two complaints made by traders made about emails received allegedly from the firm.



Councillor David Barton

'Battle Investigations' was promoted by suspended Conservative Councillor David Barton last July as being a 'way forward' for local traders concerned about burglary, shoplifting, vandalism and antisocial behaviour in the town centre. Cllr Barton claimed that the firms activity in the town had been solicited with police involvement. When local police claimed no knowledge of any agreement to bring in the firm, Councillor Barton baffled both police and his colleagues by claiming that the discussions were 'above the pay grade' of local police.

In November, an anonymous spokesman for Battle Investigations told local media:

"We have been operating in Southport for five years before launching this new cost effective scheme in February 2016, at the request of Southport Business Watch. Upwards of 45 businesses across Southport have signed up, with some opting for the baseline service and many others opting for a much greater level of service.

“Patrols enter Southport each evening and are in Southport continuously at weekends and public holidays. They operate in both marked and unmarked vehicles with Town centre patrols carried out on foot.

“Our primary role is the protection of the property and assets of our contracted clients and secondary to that are the intelligence gathering, assistance and security of Civic and Community assets as requested by Councillor David Barton in July 2016."

But, whatever the firm may have been doing, Southport's most senior police officer has now made it plain in public that his force know nothing of their activity having any effect. Besides councillors and the BID expressing concern at the potential for unofficial vigilante patrols in thetown, Councillor Barton's activities also concerned some Southport residents who demanded more clarity over what exactly was going to happen but heard nothing.

Local resident Anne Spinola hit out at Councillor Barton, saying:

“Tackling and dealing effectively with anti-social behaviour can simply be achieved by many means and his choice of dealing with the matter is not only poor but it actually compromises his ability to genuinely act for the greater good of this community to best benefit everyone equally on any level.

“I am concerned that his strive for power and support for local businesses clearly compromises the name of Southport as a town and the community as a whole.”