Private security guards hired to monitor asylum seekers in town accused of 'overstepping' by detaining two teenage girls for 'shoplifting'

Private security guards hired to monitor asylum seekers sparked controversy after handcuffing two teenage girls for alleged shoplifting. A Labour councillor accused the two watchmen in Colchester, Essex , of 'overstepping the mark' and said the power of a uniform had 'gone to their heads'. A former mayor of Colchester, he claimed the incident was so serious it would have stopped the entire patrol operation 'in its tracks', had it been disclosed at the time. But a councillor from Reform UK, which runs Essex County Council and set up Operation Vanguard, insisted the girls had been detained because they were 'deemed criminals'. The two guards, who have no policing powers, were patrolling Colchester High Street on September 17, just three days into their duties, when they accosted the girls. The council launched Operation Vanguard on September 14 in response to concerns about anti-social behaviour by asylum seekers from the nearby Wethersfield centre. Colchester locals had complained that on days when asylum seekers were brought into the city from MDP Wethersfield – a former RAF base in the Essex countryside – the atmosphere can feel very different. Women were reportedly being told to 'cover up', girls were allegedly being filmed on mobile phones and groups of young men had been accused of staring, making comments and intimidating locals. Two of the 'security operatives' patrolling Essex towns as part of Operation Vanguard. There is no suggestion the two guards pictured are those referenced in the article The operation was launched after concerns of anti-social behaviour by asylum seekers from the nearby Wethersfield centre To restore a sense of safety, six trained and uniformed 'security operatives' now patrol the centres of Chelmsford, Colchester and Braintree seven days a week, from 10am to 6pm. More than a month after the handcuffing incident, Labour councillor Tim Young on Tuesday recounted it to a meeting of the Crime and Disorder Committee. He said: 'Operation Vanguard could have been stopped in its tracks because two young females in Colchester city centre were the subject of a citizen's arrest and handcuffed. 'It is in the public interest, I believe, for this to come out. The point is, these operatives overstepped their power. 'You will recognise that if you give certain men a uniform and a set of handcuffs, the power goes to their head and they will abuse it - that is what happened in this instance. 'If that had come out, as it should have done, Operation Vanguard would have been stopped in its tracks immediately because of that abuse of power.' Essex County Council's deputy leader Russell Quirk told the meeting: 'Those individuals were deemed as criminals which is why they were detained by Operation Vanguard.' Essex Police recorded two offences of assault without injury against the two security officers, but did not interview or charge the teenagers. Labour councillor Tim Young, former Mayor of Colchester, accused the two guards of letting the power 'go to their heads' They confirmed the girls were not charged because the items they had taken were returned. Instead, the force said that 'learning [was] passed' to the company contracted to supply the security guards. A spokesperson for the force said: 'We were made aware of an incident involving two teenage girls who had been detained by security staff in the High Street area of Colchester on September 17 following a reported theft from a shop. 'Neither girl was injured in the incident, which did require a police review, following which two offences of assault without injury were recorded. 'Having reviewed the circumstances and spoken to the teenage girls involved, the incident was finalised with an appropriate outcome and learning passed to the security staff employers for progression. 'Shop theft offences were recorded and finalised according to the wishes of the retailer involved as all stolen property was recovered. 'Everyone involved in the incident has been updated and the matter has been closed.' Essex Police confirmed no further criminal justice action is being taken against anyone involved in this incident.