Do private investigators work for authorities in the UK?
April 27, 2022 - Reading time: 8 minutes
As the name suggests, private investigators typically work for private individuals and businesses in the private sector. Private investigators are often called on to investigate infidelity, perform business due diligence, find missing people, serve documents, and in many other cases.
While private investigators are typically instructed by private individuals or firms, they have also been known to provide services for government bodies and entities such as local councils.
Because the private investigation industry is so large, and encompasses many different specialized skills, there have been many documented cases around the world where private investigators have provided assistance to police and government entities alike.
Do private investigators work with councils in the UK?
The short answer is “yes”. There are many different circumstances where local councils in the UK rely on private investigators to provide assistance, we will outline some of the most common cases below.
- Investigating benefit fraud
While many councils have inhouse investigators who deal with investigating benefit fraud, there are times when they might require specialised help, or just another set of hands. In some case private investigators are called on to help.
In straightforward cases which concern benefit fraud it may be necessary for a private investigator to conduct inquiries or surveillance in order to gather evidence which can be presented to the council for them to consider.
Cases which involve allegations of cohabitation, where a person claims to be living alone in order to receive single person discounts or help with their rent, may also be investigated using surveillance.
- Process serving
When councils need to serve documents on individuals or companies, it is often a cost-effective solution for them to outsource the task to a private investigator.
Many private investigators provide process serving, and cases can be referred directly by councils themselves or their solicitors. Many process serving cases also require an element of tracing in order to first locate the subject's current address.
- Investigating license breaches
Private investigators can help councils by checking that the terms of alcohol or tobacco licenses are being actively complied with… Cases which involve selling to the underage, selling out of hours, or even selling without a license altogether, can all be investigated by private investigators.
In cases which involve the investigation of license breaches, private investigators typically act as impartial third parties whilst gathering evidence.
- Fly tipping investigations
Fly tipping creates an unnecessary blight on our countryside, and with local authorities often tasked with clearing up the mess left behind by fly tippers, there is a clear motivation for them to catch and prosecute those responsible.
Private investigators can help by staking out areas which are prone to fly tipping during surveillance, or in some cases they might be aided by high-tech equipment such as unmanned camera gear or drones.
Evidence gathered by private investigators can be used to further investigate acts of fly tipping and to hold those responsible to account, thereby reducing the costly clean-up bills which are caused as a result of fly tippers.
- Personal injury claims
Private investigators are commonly used during personal injury claims in the UK, for a wide range of different reasons. One of the most useful functions of a private investigator during personal injury claims is to verify the legitimacy and truthfulness of claims surrounding injuries or illnesses.
If a subject claims to have trouble walking unaided, but is subsequently filmed by a private investigator playing football for example, then they may find their claims difficult to substantiate.
Claims which are made against councils are effectively made against the public purse, and private investigators play a key role in verifying claims in order to make sure that they are accurate and truthful.
- Background checks
While councils typically have human resources departments whom are responsible for vetting new hirees, private investigators can help to take background checks a step further. We can use a multitude of tools, resources, and knowledge to determine an individual's background and suitability for employment.
Private investigators can compile comprehensive background check reports which may include elements such as criminal (court appearance) checks, reputational checks, social media checks, reputation checks, and more.
- Internal staffing issues
Private investigators can also provide assistance when it comes to internal staffing issues, such as fraudulent sick leave, injury claims, internal thefts, moonlighting, and corruption.
We believe that independent third parties can bring tremendous value when it comes to dealing with internal staffing issues and dealing with problems in a way which is both impartial and fair.
By gathering the facts and presenting them in concise reports, investigators can help councils to understand and solve their staffing issues, and to compile evidence which justifies the dismissal of problem employees where necessary.
Do private investigators work for solicitors in the UK?
Yes. Solicitors often use private investigators to gather evidence which can be used by them in court to help win cases. Solicitors can also delegate tasks to private investigators such as process serving, tracing debtors, or other specialized services.
Such is the importance of private investigators to solicitors in the UK, that lawyer Kate McMahon went on record as saying that her law firm “uses private investigators for almost every case”. In an interview with the BBC [source], Ms McMahon described the importance of legally acquiring evidence through the instruction of capable private investigators.
Do private investigators work for police in the UK?
While private investigators often work for solicitors to gather evidence which might aid their cases, instances where private investigators are employed by police forces in the UK are less common.
However, this is not to say that the practice doesn’t happen altogether. In 2017 it was reported that Thames Valley Police, who were spurred on by budget cuts, had begun to recruit private investigators for straightforward tasks such as witness taking and interviewing subjects [source].
Private investigators and police investigators have a somewhat interchangeable skillset, and with many private investigators coming from former careers in law enforcement, it makes sense that a police force in the UK might look to delegate straightforward tasks to qualified private investigators.
Related articles
You are reading the PrivateInvestigators-UK blog — home to the UK's leading detective agency. Learn more about us by visiting our homepage PrivateInvestigators-UK.com.