A security services company and its director have been working as crowd controllers at several bars in Te Awamutu, despite neither having the right licence.

Louise Creelman, who is the director of Dubble H Security, has been found guilty of misconduct for trading without a licence.

Creelman has an industry certificate of approval which has now been suspended until a further investigation is completed, the Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority said in a recent determination.

The authority issues licences and certificates of approval to private investigators and people working in the security industry, and also disciplines licence and certificate holders.

Early last year, it received a complaint that Creelman had been operating a security business without holding the appropriate licence.

An investigation also established that Creelman had engaged at least two people to work in security who did not hold the required approval certificates.

In August, she was warned that she needed to stop trading until she got the correct licences.

Creelman gave an undertaking that she would take steps to remedy the breach.

The authority said she accepted she had never applied for or held an individual security licence and that Dubble H Security Limited had not applied for a company licence.

She was sent a copy of the investigation report with a notice of hearing, and while she indicated she planned to attend via audio link, she did not show up.

The licensing authority considered it was appropriate to refer the complaint against Creelman back to the Complaints Investigation and Prosecution Unit for further investigation and possible prosecution.

Because Creelman was found guilty of misconduct, and that it was ongoing, McConnell was satisfied that she was no longer suitable to be a certificate holder.

“I also note that Ms Creelman has continued to wrongly use her COA as justification for running a security business.

“I therefore conclude it is appropriate to suspend Ms Creelman’s certificate of approval pending the completion of the further investigation and any future prosecution,” McConnell said.