Tony Imossi

Anthony "Tony" Imossi (born October 1955) is a leading UK private investigator and significant player in its industry bodies, including the Association of British Investigators, where he has been noted for his push for regulation and professionalisation of the industry.Private detectives to need licence, BBC News Online, 31 July 2013 (accessed 26 November 2015). He has been associated with a number of risk management and private security / intelligence companies, including RISC Management and Barrington London, through which he has a long standing partnership with Nigel Brown. He is a Captain in the Parachute Regiment's territorial unit.Management Team, Barrington London (corporate website), undated (accessed 27 November 2015).
==Private investigation work==
For 15 years Imossi worked in the legal profession as a litigation managing clerk, before entering the private investigation industry. In 1981 he found the private investigation firm Solicitors' Law Services, and remained its principle of until July 2014. He described its work as:Tony Imossi, Profile, LinkedIn, undated (accessed 26 November 2015).
:: an agency to provide discreet, confidential investigation services to the legal profession, corporate businesses and individual professionals. The agency has since specialised in corporate fraud, theft, due diligence and general litigation support.
and elsewhere as 'provid[ing] background investigations services'.Solicitors Law Services, Hotfrog.co.uk, undated (accessed 26 November 2016). Another time, he described himself as a 'field agent for lawyers'.Grania Langdon-Down, Law firms' private investigators examined, Law Society Gazette, 25 September 2008 (accessed 26 November 2015). In a 2005 article, he explained:Beryl Dixon, How do I become a Private Detective?, The Times, 5 November 2005 (accessed via FindADetective.co.uk, 26 November 2015).
:: In my first job I routinely met private investigators, decided that I could do better and set up on my own. I now advise on protection against fraud and money laundering. I do this by assessing clients' degree of protection and investigating the people that they propose to do business with. I have worked on advanced fee fraud, undercover operations and fit-to-sue work - by checking public sources of information you can see whether money to pay the debt is available. In one case I had to get close to a guy who was defrauding a bank. I posed as an arms dealer to rouse his curiosity and greed. He fell for it, saw me as a source of income and told me all about himself. I was, of course, wired up.
In 2007, Nigel Brown was named 'Investigator of the Year by' the ABI on Imossi's nomination.GardaWorld, GardaWorld's Nigel Brown Named 2007 Investigator of the Year by Association of British Investigators, MarketWired.com (press release), 16 May 2007 (accessed 26 November 2015).
In July 2014, Imossi and Brown re-established their business partnership when they formed a investigation and risk management company, Barringtons (Barrington London), based in London and Gibraltar.About Us, Barrington London (corporate website), undated (accessed 27 November 2015). The company lists a wide range of services covering much of the fields of work around investigation and intelligence gathering, including surveillance and undercover operations.Services, Barrington London (corporate website), undated (accessed 27 November 2015).
==Industry bodies==
===Association of British Investigators===
Imossi joined in 1986. Chairman for Education & Training April 1999 to April 2000. Vice President from August 1999, then President April 2000 - April 2004. From April 2004 to April 2006 he holds the position of Finance and Immediate Past President. Board Member of its Governing Council April 2007 to April 2008, and in April 2008 once again becomes President, remaining in that role to present (2015).
During this time he oversees the development of the organisation and its accredation by various bodies including the DVLA and the Law Society. 
2012-2013 involved in the drafting of the British Standard Institution Code of Practice for the provision of investigative services (BS102000), and provided training on it to the Security Industry Authority. 
Named Investigator of the Year (Zena Scott Archer award) in 1999. Presented the Frank Martin awards for service to the industry in 2003 and 2008 (2013).
===Other bodies===
Founder & Chair of the Investigators' Sector Group (January 2001 - April 2008), which lobbied in relation to regulation of the investigation industry. The Group appears to have become part of the ABI. 2004 appointed Secretary General of the Internationale Kommission der Detektiv-Verbande, the European wide representative body working on an EU level. Imossi was called its Executive Director in 2007..
2004 awarded Gold Medal for Excellence by the Joint Security Industry Council in November 2004. April 2013 he is given the (firstBob Heales, Executive Director's brief, Beyond Global (World Association of Detectives), June-August 2013, vol. 64, issue 10 (accessed 26 November 2015).) Richard Jacques-Turner Award for Excellence by the World Association of Detectives.
===Industry reform work===
Through the ABI, Imossi has been a keen promoter of regulation in the private investigator industry.Edward Fennell, ‘If you are a good investigator then you don’t need to break the law’, The Times, 21 July 2011 (paywalled, accessed 26 November 2015). stating in 2012:Sean O'Neill, Private eyes jailed in landmark 'blagging' trial, The Times, 28 Feb 2012 (paywalled, accessed 26 November 2015).
:: As an unregulated industry, currently there is nothing to stop unaccountable and unscrupulous opportunists setting up and masquerading as private investigators. Organisations and individuals may hire their services, unaware that they are willing to break the law to obtain information and facilitate their income.
Though he had spoken of this a number of times, it became particularly prominet during the phone-hacking scandal. In the 'The Independent in 2011 he said of investors using unlawful surveillance techniques such as hacking and bugging, that:Rob Hastings, Eyes on the spies: The murky world of the private investigators, The Independent, 23 October 2011 (accessed 26 November 2015).
:: [they were] criminals masquerading as professional investigators. All these services are illegal activities, and we would absolutely 100 per cent condemn them. We would not tolerate it from any of our members, and if any of those were linked to our members we would immediately put them through the disciplinary process with a view to expelling them.
Other work included appearances before the Leveson InquiryTony Imossi, Witness Statement, Leveson Inquiry, 8 September 2011.Transcript of Morning Hearing of 12 February 2012, Leveson Inquiry (accessed 26 November 2015). Oral evidence of Tony Imossi in his capacity as head of the Association of British Investigators begins at Page 41 (11). and the Home Affairs Select CommitteeHome Affairs Committee, Private Investigators: Fourth Report of Session 2012-13, House of Commons 2 July 2012 (accessed 26 November 2015). on regulating investigation in the private sector in 2011-2012. 
One aspect of his work has been to push for increased professionalisation in the industry, stating in 2009: 'With the absence of any statutory control of the investigation industry in the UK the association recognised the need for self-regulation many years ago, therefore we set very high standards of service.'Owen McAteer, Award honour for private investigator, The Northern Echo (Newsquest) , 11 May 2009 (accessed through Nexis). He actively sought for recognition of the ABI for endorsement through accreditation by the Law Society, something obtained in 2010.[http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/support-services/membership-extra/business-services/abi/ 
Association of British Investigators Accredited professional investigators], The Law Society, undated (accessed 26 November 2015). 
In one newspaper article in 2010, he was cited in an article in The Times:Alex Wade, I spy with my little private eye - a great deal of trouble; Investigators are once again under scrutiny. Is it time for them to be licensed, The Times, 23 September 2010 (accessed 26 November 2015 via Nexis).
:: As long ago as 1952 we sent a delegation to Parliament to lobby for recognition and regulation of the industry. Eventually, in May 2001, the Private Security Industry Act was passed and became law. There was an expectation that under the Act private investigators would be subject to a licensing regime, but this hasn't happened yet."Imossi wants to ensure that "the loose cannons - the people who are little better than thieves", as he calls them, can be eliminated. "The profession is tainted by the activities of people involved in things such as phone hacking and the black market in selling data. We believe that investigators should be able to prove who they really are, pass a test of competency and show that they do not have recent or relevant criminal convictions."
Subsequently, he has argued for a distinction between professional investigators and 'information brokers', particularly in the wake of newspaper hacking scandals.Nothing to do with us, PrivateDetective.co.uk, 12 June 2012 (accessed 26 November 2015)., including stating:Paul Bignell and Heather Brooke, Black market in personal data is booming, The Independent on Sunday, 13 May 2012 (accessed 26 November 2015).
:: What we have at the moment is untamed predatory individuals masquerading as professional investigators, who are doing no more than information brokering.
In 2003, he was, as representative of the Investigators' Sector Group, a member of the Sector Skills Strategy Group, a body established by the Joint Security Industry Council to work with the Security Industry Authority on the implentation of the Private Security Industy Act.Security Industry Authority News 2003, Joint Security Industry Council, 2006 (Cached by ZoomInfo.com, accessed 26 November 2015).
Note, the ABI is one of three such industry bodies in the UK, and over the years has averaged around 500 members. The other industry bodies are the World Association of Professional Investigators (WAPI) and the Institute of Professional Investigators (IPI).
==Other activities==
Imossi dedicates his spare time to the Parachute Regiment’s territorial unit, through which he was commissioned and attained the rank of Captain. (A photo of him as part of 11 platoon, 4th Company in circa 1980/1981 as a junior NCO instructor at the St Martin's plain camp is here)
==Affliations==
* Association of British Investigators
* World Association of Detectives (since January 1993)
* Internationale Kommission der Detektiv-Verbande (IKD)
* Associación Profesional Detectives Privados de Espana (overseas member since January 1989)
* Council of International InvestigatorsTony Imossi, Council of International Investigators, 2014 (accessed 26 November 2015).
* Trustee of the Association of British Investigators Benevolent Fund, April 2006 to present (November 2015).
==Education & Qualifications==
* Princeton Law College, 1972-1975.
* Level 3 Award for Professional Investigation (QCF), 2012.
* Level 3 Award in Education & Training, City & Guilds, 2014. 
==Publications==
* Model Terms of Business for Professional Investigators, Association of British Investigators, December 2009.
* Model Data Protection Policy, Association of British Investigators, November 2011.
* Report Writing Guide for Professional Investigators, Association of British Investigators, February 2012.
* Private Investigators - mitgating the risks, The Journal of the Law Society of Scotland, 12 December 2011.
==Directorships==
Company Names & Number 	Addresses 	Incorporation & Dissolution 	Directors & Shareholders 	Notes
Director Survival Ltd (03034007)24Eye Ltd, CompanyCheck.co.uk, undated (accessed 26 July 2015).24Eye Ltd, CompaniesList.co.uk, undated (accessed 3 August 2015).
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After 7 May 2004 the company was known as Eye24 Ltd.	The company has been registered to a number of addresses:
(i) 12 Avondale Road, London, SE9 4SN (until 10 Aug 1995);(ii) 361 Lewisham High Street, London, SE13 6NZ (until 11 Jan 1998);(iii) Market House, 12-13 Market Square, Bromley, Kent, BR1 1NA (until 31 Mar 2000);(iv) 6 Archers Court, Masons Hill, Bromley, Kent, BR2 9JG(until 7 Nov 2000);(v) 325 City Road, London, EC1V 1LJ (until 2 Apr 2003);(vi) 94 Park Lane, London, W1K 7TD - the offices of Stephen Langford Curtis) (until 11 May 2004);(vii) 788-790 Finchley Road, London, NW11 7TJ (last address)	16 Mar 1995
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Becomes dormant in 2005. Dissolved in 2007 	Steven Trevor Yates (16 Mar 1995 - 31 May 2001);Valerie Ann Yates (16 Mar 1995 - 26 Oct 2000); Dino Nicolaou (26 Oct - 30 Oct 2000);Tony Imossi (31 May 2001 - 10 Oct 2002); Simon Imossi (31 May 2001 - 10 Oct 2002);Nigel Brown (10 Oct 2002 - end);James Edwin Jacobson (10 Oct 2002 - 20 Apr 2004);Anthony Brightwell (29 Apr 2004 - 12 Dec 2005);	The company was established by Steve Yates who is a management consultant specialising in risk and business continuity.Steve Yates, Profile, LinkedIn, undated (accessed 3 August 2015). It then is passed to the control of Tony Imossi before being passed on again to the ISC Global group of companies and Nigel Brown. Simon Imossi is Tony Imossi's son.
OCI Masons Hill Ltd (03033854)OCI Masons Hill Ltd, CompanyCheck.co.uk, undated (accessed 26 November 2015).OCI Masons Hill Ltd, CompaniesList.co.uk, undated (accessed 26 November 2015).
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Corporate Integrity Ltd (until 19 June 2000)	Its addresses were all as with Director Survival Ltd (24Eye Ltd, until 2 Aug 2000 when they changed to 6 Bloomsbury Square, London WC1A 1LP (following the appointment of a liquidator on 1 August 2000).	16 March 1995
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Becomes dormant circa 1999 / 2000. Put into liquidation 2000 and dissolved 2002.	Steven Trevor Yates 16 Mar 1995 - end);Valerie Ann Yates (16 Mar 1995 - 31 Mar 1999); Paul Frederic Kirvan (21 June 1998 - end); Michael John Marsh 21 June 1998 - 30 June 1999);James George Burtles (21 June 1998 - 4 July 2000); Colin Gordon (25 Oct 1998 - 31 May 2000);Tony Imossi (2 May 2000 - end) 	Kirvan is a New York based business continuity expert.Paul Kirvan, Profile, LinkedIn, undated (accessed 26 November 2015). He and other directors (Marsh, Gordon, Burtles, Yates) are involved in business continuity / disaster recovery firms and associated with the Business Continuity Institute.
Barrington London Ltd (08851260)Barrington London Ltd, CompanyCheck.co.uk, undated (accessed 26 November 2015).	Winnington House, 2 Woodberry Grove, North Finchley, London, N12 0DR 	Tony Imossi (20 Jan 2014 - current (2015)); Nigel Brown (20 June 2014 - current (2015))	Business nature given as investigation activities. The company is also referred to as just 'Barringtons' on its website, BarringtonLondon.com. 	
Solicitors' Law Services does not appear to have been registered as a company. Contact details for it were:User Profil for Tony Imossi, LawAgentDirect.com, undated (accessed 26 November 2015). 
* 5th Floor, 26-28 Great Portland Street, London, W1W 8AS.
* Tel: 0845 094 0438
* Fax: 020 8082 5373
* Email: timossi@investigations.co.uk
* Web: www.investigations.co.uk (in 2015 redirected to BarringtonLondon.com)
Imossi has also been a director of the Association of British Investigators Ltd (company numbe r00998568) 24 April 1999 to 22 April 2006 and again since 20 April 2008 to present (2015). Nigel Brown was a director April 2009 to November 2010.Association of British Investigators Ltd, CompaniesList.co.uk, undated (accessed 26 November 2015).
==See also==
* RISC Management
* Nigel Brown
==Other stuff==
Mobile:	+44 (0) 776-818-0130 mobile (from LawAgentDirect.co.uk )
Barringtons contact details:
LONDON
* 2nd Floor, Winnington House, Woodberry Grove, North Finchley, London N12 0DR
* Tel: 020 3397 2715
* Fax: 020 3397 2714
* Mob: 07831 302 111
* Email: London@BarringtonLondon.com
GIBRALTAR
* 8A Pitman’s Alley, Main Street, Gibraltar
* Tel: +350 200 48844
* Fax: +350 200 48846
* Mob: +44 7768 180 130
Email: Gibraltar@BarringtonLondon.com, t.imossi@BarringtonLondon.com
==Personal details==
From 2014 Imossi appears to be based in Gibraltar.
His twitter account is @dunlobbin (protected; member since December 2009).@Dunlobbin, Twitter.com, undated (accessed 26 November 2015).
Second wife, Leslie Imossi (nee Hoye) is a registered homeopath who runs the Heal-Yourself.org.uk homeopathy service and produces Wild Heart Beard Balm.Leslie Imossi, Profile, LinkedIn, undated (accessed 26 November 2015).About, WildHeartBeardBalm.co.uk, undated (accessed 26 November 2015).About Leslie Imossi, Heal-Yourself.org.uk, undated (accessed 26 November 2015).
==Notes==