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
Do 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 guide