Insights.
Plain answers to the questions people actually ask us — about cost, about licensing, about when protection is and isn't worth it. Written for people new to all this, by someone who has done it for thirty years.
More guides
Security chauffeur or security driver: what you are actually hiring
A chauffeur describes the car; a security driver describes the route. The licence question, what it costs, and when one driver is enough.
Read the guideDo bodyguards need a licence in the UK?
Yes — and the fact that some operate without one is exactly why this is worth two minutes of your time.
Read the guideCan you hire an armed bodyguard in the UK?
No — and any firm hinting otherwise has told you everything about their licensing. What British close protection does instead.
Read the guideBodyguard or close protection officer — is there a difference?
"Bodyguard" is what the public says. What the licensed profession actually involves, and what to ask before you hire.
Read the guideWhat does a panic room actually cost in the UK?
From roughly £6,000 for a reinforced refuge to £250,000+ for a fully independent safe room. What the money buys at each level.
Read the guideDo you need security at your wedding?
A guest-list, venue and gift checklist for deciding — and what discreet wedding security should actually look like.
Read the guideDoxxed: the first 48 hours
If your home address has just surfaced online, the sensible order of operations for the first two days.
Read the guideHow to hire a bodyguard in the UK
Five checks before you hire: licence, vetting, insurance, a written contract, and a firm that asks before it proposes.
Read the guideSeven questions to ask any close protection company
Including the ones we publish our own answers to — on our Credentials page, where you should expect to find them.
Read the guideWho's who in a protection detail
Team leader, PPO, advance party, residential team, driver, medic — what each role actually does, and how few of them most people need.
Read the guideIs a gated community or apartment building secure enough on its own?
A gate stops cars and a concierge serves the building; the gaps in a flat or penthouse are fobs, deliveries, visitors and what neighbours see.
Read the guideWhat powers does a bodyguard actually have in the UK?
A close protection licence adds no powers: what UK law lets a bodyguard do on arrest, force, searches, filming and weapons.
Read the guideHow do you check an SIA licence?
How to check an officer’s SIA licence on the public register, what the record shows, and what to do when it does not match.
Read the guideWhat is a residential security team — and who actually needs one?
A residential security team protects the house rather than the person, and most homes need a survey and a few changes instead.
Read the guideWhat should you do if you think you are being followed or stalked?
Followed or stalked: when to call 999, how to keep a log the police can use, and when more help is proportionate.
Read the guideHow do you reduce the risk of watch theft in London?
How watch and phone theft happens in London, the few habits that reduce the risk, and what to do if a watch is taken.
Read the guideHow do you keep your home address private in the UK?
The UK registers, websites and household habits that give away a home address, and the practical steps that close each one.
Read the guideWhere does crime actually touch the wealthiest towns in England and Wales?
Open police data for England’s wealthiest towns: which crimes take a larger share, when burglary rises, and how London differs.
Read the guideClose protection vs security guard: what is the difference, and which do you need?
A close protection officer protects a person and moves with them; a guard protects a place. Licences, day-to-day work, cost and which you need.
Read the guideIn-house or contracted security: should a family or company employ its own security staff?
Employ your own security staff or contract them: what each brings, what the SIA says about in-house staff, and how the two combine.
Read the guide