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Press Articles |
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Court cracks down on security
Published: 30 June, 2007
SECURITY guards are now carrying out body and bag searches at Inverness Sheriff Court, the Highland News can reveal. Local firm Castle Security has been hired to carry out the daily measures at Inverness Castle as of Monday this week. A Scottish Court Service (SCS) spokesman said: "I can confirm that security guards are presently undertaking bag and body searches at Inverness Sheriff Court. "Safety and security of staff and court users is of paramount importance to SCS. "Security at court buildings is constantly under review and SCS is committed to providing security solutions where they are required." Jim Ferguson, managing director of Castle Security, confirmed his company has taken over the contract. He said: "We currently provide access control searches as people come in using hand-held metal detectors searching for weapons. We are not there because of any one specific incident that our services are being used, it is just something the SCS are keen to have at the court." |
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Funeral help for tragic dad
By Claire Doughty
Published: 26 May, 2007
AN Inverness father who was facing a financial crisis after a tragedy in which his wife and newborn daughter died within 24 hours of each other has been helped out by a local businessman touched by his plight. And a local councillor has also pledged to look into Sinclair MacIvor's case. Earlier this month, the Highland News told how Mr MacIvor, of Morvich Way, was struggling to make ends meet following the death of his wife Donna and newborn daughter Linsey. Little Linsey, who was born by emergency Caesarean operation in Raigmore Hospital, survived for just one hour. Her mum, who was 39, died the following day. With the debt of the £3,000 funeral hanging over him and delays in getting his benefit payments, Mr MacIvor feared his seven-year-old son Colin would be taken into care. However, this week he spoke of his relief after Jim Ferguson, managing director of Castle Security, paid the funeral bill for him and an anonymous donor paid the hotel bill for the wake. Mr MacIvor said: "I can't thank everyone who has helped me enough. "It is such a relief to know the funeral costs have been taken care of. "I wanted to make sure my wife and daughter had a proper service but the cost was quite high. Mr Ferguson has been a great help." Mr MacIvor was experiencing problems getting child benefit payments for Colin transferred from his wife's name to his. He said: "Thanks to the previous stories the Highland News has done, I am now also getting the child benefits payments which will ease things. "It is just a relief to know that people are listening when we need help the most." Mr Ferguson, who is also chairman of the crime prevention panel, said he was inspired to help after reading the stories in the Highland News.
Inverness Ness-side councillor Norrie Donald said he would look into Mr MacIvor's case. He said: "I don't know if we can get him any more benefits, but I am happy to look in to this for him. "It is not right that people are unable to access the information they need, especially at a time like this. "I will be contacting the social services department within Highland Council to see if there is anything they can do to help." |
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Gang boss's sons eye Inverness firms
By Cameron Hay
Published: 11 January, 2007
A FIRM run by the sons of a notorious Glasgow gangland figure is at the centre of fears it is trying to muscle in on business in building boom Inverness. The company based in the Central Belt has placed its signs over those belonging firms currently providing security at building sites in the city. This practice has been an intimidation tactic in the Glasgow area where gangsters in rival firms have fought wars for years over lucrative contracts. The same company is also understood to have made approaches to builders in Inverness concerning sites where security deals are already in place. The moves by Kirkintilloch-based company P&B Contracts have caused concern among existing construction and security businesses in the city which is in the grip of a building boom. For the Highland News can reveal that the two men behind the company are sons of Glasgow crime figure Lewis “Scooby” Rodden. He has served a jail term recently for his involvement as the boss of a company involved in a campaign of assault, fire-raising and threats over security contacts in Ayrshire. He also hit the headlines in 2001 when he was shot in the chest in what was believed to be an gang warfare hit. Information lodged at Companies House reveals P&B Contracts was formed in March last year and its director and secretary are Rodden’s sons Paul (24) and Barry (27). Jim Ferguson, managing director of Castle Security, said this week: “I have had signs interfered with, and am very unhappy about it. Police are looking into the matter. “There is no way a legitimate company would conduct business this way, so obviously there are concerns about the kind of people involved with this firm. “If this company has links to criminals as rumoured, they will find themselves wasting their time in Inverness. Highland business people will neither be intimidated nor pushed about by would-be hardmen. “This practice is typical of the way dodgy firms of the past operated and with the introduction of the Security Industry Authority (SIA) in March their time is running out.” John Sutherland, managing director of Ace City Security, said builders his business carries out work for had been approached by the Glasgow firm. He added: “None of my clients have got involved with them. I think Highland businessmen and women are more astute than this outfit assumes, and they will not be hoodwinked by anyone crashing in.” William Gray Construction Ltd and Robertson Homes are among the building firms believed to have received visits from agents of the Glasgow security company. The agents were informed that contracts were already in place for construction work under way, but despite that signs from the Glasgow firm were put over existing security advertising. A spokesman for William Gray said: “I don’t wish to comment.” A spokesman for Robertson Homes said: “Our security needs are met by Castle Security Group and this contractual arrangement will continue for the foreseeable future.” A building firm insider, who asked not to be named, confirmed he had knowledge about the Glasgow company offering services in Inverness. He said: “We are well aware of this company which is trying to operate in Inverness and also its alleged connections to less-than-savoury characters. “Representatives have made an approach to cover security at our sites in and around the city. “They have left a brochure of the services they offer, but we have another firm looking after the security and have no plans to change our existing arrangement.” The Highland News repeatedly left messages seeking to speak to P&B Contracts’ named directors about their recent activities in the north, but received no reply. Inverness is one of the most active areas in Scotland for new build construction sites, with the city predicted to double in size within the next 30 years. |
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'Get tough on vandals' call
by David Fraser
Published: 31 August, 2006
ASECURITY chief has called for a no-holds barred gettough campaign against vandals. He has pointed a finger at the court system for letting offenders off lightly instead of sending them to prison. Jim Ferguson, the chairman of the Inverness Crime Prevention Panel, added that if the "lenient" sentences are a result of prison overcrowding then the remedy is simple - build more jails. Jim, who is also managing director of The Castle Group security specialists, was speaking in the wake of a vandal attack on Culloden Car Sales last weekend when 61 tyres were slashed on 40 cars, and a Land Rover parked there was broken into and slashed and trashed inside, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage. He is full of praise for Northern Constabulary who, he points out, have one of the best crime detection rates in the country when it comes to getting offenders into court. But it is when the culprits land up in the dock, he says, the system lets down the public. He instances a previous act of vandalism at Culloden Cars when £5,000 of damage was caused and the offender was ordered by the court to pay £500 compensation, but nothing has yet been paid. He told the Highland News: "There is no proper deterrent at the moment. There is nothing to stop these people who are going out causing acts of mindless damage. "I have every confidence in the police. They are doing their job and catching these people, but the courts are not doing their job as far as I am concerned. "Frankly I would like to see a hard line taken with these neds - that's all they are - who are committing these crimes. It's painfully evident that the softly, softly approach does not work." Jim believes he is by no means alone with his get-tough views. "The public are getting sick and tired of this. There is no doubt in my mind about this, " he said. "I speak to hundreds of people, day in day out, and they are sickened by criminals carrying out crimes of vandalism and just walking away with very lenient sentences. People are angry about it and getting angrier. "In comparison to elsewhere we have a lovely city in which to live and we want it to stay that way. We all want a decent place to live and work, but we need to ensure that mindless acts of vandalism like this are punished properly. "The public demands are getting louder for effective sentences and overcrowding should not be a reason for not locking up criminals. If we have a shortage of prison places then let's build more prisons." Northern Constabulary's Inverness area commander Superintendent David O'Connor said of the forecourt attack: "This was wanton, mindless vandalism of the worst level." He added that it had been a particularly busy weekend in the Smithton and Culloden areas with a number of acts of vandalism, and appealed for anyone with any knowledge of these events to contact the police. Proprietor of Culloden Car Sales Donnie MacDonald estimates the Friday night-Saturday morning attack on his vehicles caused about £5,500 worth of damage when the tyres were stabbed with a knife. He is confident the culprits will be caught, and has put up a reward for information leading to their arrest and conviction. But, he added: "There is another issue here. It means that someone - who knows in what state of mind - is running about in the early hours of the morning with a knife in their possession, and that could have dreadful consequences." |
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Castle “Secures” Award and Plans New Jobs |
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Inverness based, Castle Security Group, achieve“Top Stand” award at the 2006 Highland Spotlight,
Business “Guru”, Adrian Webster, Jim said: Jim went on to say: We have been established for over fifteen years A Professional Service is Guaranteed |
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