Antonios started out in private security in his native Greece and travelled all over Europe working for a major football club. He is now an SIA licensed door supervisor in a busy London railway station. He reflects on the differences and similarities between private security in the UK and abroad, and his experiences of helping vulnerable people.
I was born and grew up in Greece and joined the military after finishing school. I left after a couple of years, then I worked in close protection across Europe and South America. I also worked for a major Greek football club for about six years. Again, there was lots of travel as they played in the UEFA Europa League.
I moved to the UK in 2020. I wanted to open a Greek restaurant, but the pandemic put a stop to those plans. I joined a private security company doing street patrols in Westminster. Now I’ve been working for almost a year for a company contracted to Network Rail. I’m mostly based at London Victoria station.
The skills you need are mostly the same wherever you are, but private security in the UK is based on rules and regulations, much more than other countries. I did my research, and the first training sessions were also a helpful introduction to understand how things work here. So, I have found it a relatively easy transition.
On a typical day at the station, I am on patrol and responding to incidents. It is very crowded, and a huge area, so we deal with a lot of radio calls. The biggest challenges are the medical incidents and engaging with vulnerable people. We get a lot of help from the British Transport Police and Metropolitan Police.
We deal with medical issues every day. Whether that’s someone slipping and falling, having a head injury and lots of blood, or responding to people having heart attacks, giving CPR and defibrillator shocks. Our training is essential. It helps me and everyone in my team. When people around me are trained, they know what to do when I am giving instructions. I think it’s important for everyone to do first aid. I have done it many times, but you need to renew your knowledge.
We sometimes deal with minors or older people who don’t know where they are. There’s also a lot of homelessness in the surrounding area. When I was on street patrol, engaging with people sleeping rough was part of my role. It was a new experience for me. When people come into the station now who are homeless, I speak to them and refer them to agencies when I can.
A few months ago, a lady approached me. She said, “you don’t remember me, but I remember you”. It was someone I had met when on street patrol. She thanked me for finding her and looking after her. She said, “Now I have accommodation and have found a job.” It was a very strong moment for me. Helping people is so amazing sometimes.
My role is not just about providing security but customer service as well. I like mingling with people and working around people. I hope to make someone else’s day a bit better.
Sometimes I wish members of the public would remember that we are human beings too. We have limitations on what we can and can’t do, and need to follow our procedures. But most people do make me feel appreciated. I’m happy to be working in this industry and I’m happy to be doing this job.