SECURITYSLEUTHS

Feb 6 2008 by Sue Scott, Evening Gazette

A TEAM of Darlington students went undercover to hone their sleuthing skills, giving them a taste of the fast-growing global security industry.

BTEC L3 uniformed services students from Darlington College blended into the background as they pursued a target around the streets, shops and cafes of the town centre.

Twenty-eight students, in contact by covert radio, followed a target for 90 minutes watching her every move without being identified themselves.

The exercise was designed to be a team-building and leadership operation for the students who all want to join uniformed services, including the police, armed forces, fire brigade or ambulance service.

It was also a taster for a new L3 BTEC Close Protection course that will be launched at Darlington College at Catterick in April to meet the world demand for bodyguards.

Back in the college, students were briefed on the target’s description and location. A team leader and second in command were appointed for the operation.

Students had already spent classroom time with a security expert being taught the principles of surveillance complete with the means to blend into the background.

Once on the streets, the team of 28 rotated observation duties so the target remained unaware of their presence.

Their tutor Paul Hutchinson has just joined the college after working for Sheikh Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the prime minister of Qatar, as he travelled the world to countries including Hong Kong, China, Maldives and France.

Before that he served with Cleveland Police, where he performed close protection duties for former Labour MP and Cabinet member Peter Mandleson.

“We have covered the theory of surveillance and this was the first opportunity to put their new skills into practice,” he said.

“This is something completely different for them and they have done really well, taking the exercise very seriously.”

The target was another experienced surveillance operative. Paul said: “For their first time they did exceptionally well. The target only spotted two of them and that was because she saw their radios. If she hadn’t known she was being followed, she would have never realised.”

The close protection course gets under way in April and is designed for anyone wanting to take up a career as a bodyguard.

Demand all over the world is high for British-trained operatives who could find themselves protecting dignitaries ranging from celebrities and politicians to oil and gas executives working in developing nations or war zones.

The intensive 150-hour course is completed in three weeks and covers a host of techniques including surveillance, foot drills, identifying risks and threats, teamwork, legislation, conflict management, operational planning, safe route selection and handling dilemmas.