Harrow Council has reported two contracted enforcement officers to the police after footage shared on social media showed them threatening a member of the public.
The officers, who have since been dismissed, were filmed during a confrontation on Northolt Road in Harrow, with one allegedly threatening violence. The footage, believed to have been recorded using Meta glasses without the officers’ knowledge, begins with one officer confirming his body-worn camera was switched off.
The incident took place on May 18 and, after the footage emerged later that month, Harrow Council referred the matter to contractor Kingdom Services, which removed both men from duty. The council has also reported them to the Metropolitan Police, while both organisations condemned the officers’ conduct.
Meanwhile, Kamal Shah, chair of the North Harrow Community Library, who denies an allegation that he spat on the ground, was issued a £100 Fixed Penalty Notice after an encounter with Kingdom officers last September. He has since launched a petition calling on Harrow Council to terminate its contract with Kingdom Local Authority Support.
Speaking to Asian Voice, Kamal Shah described his reaction to the footage of the enforcement officers threatening a member of the public, saying it reinforced concerns he had been raising for the past seven to eight months. He said, “Well, this adds weight to the concerns I’ve been raising over the last seven or eight months. My own incident happened in September last year, and I had been trying to get the council to change its policies, but nothing was happening. In March, I went public and received a response from the council saying they would look into the concerns I had raised. From the end of March until now, I hadn’t heard anything back.
“As soon as I got home on Saturday, I was shocked to see the video online. The more I looked at it, the more I realised this incident had happened in mid-May. The council had received a complaint and quietly sacked the two officers, trying to bury the story. But because the footage is so shocking, it has gone around the world and made Harrow a laughing stock. I immediately wrote to the Managing Director and the leader of the council asking for their position. They came back saying they had robust systems in place and that this was a one-off incident. Basically, they were trying to brush it under the carpet.
“As the story continued to grow, they suspended Kingdom’s services out of embarrassment. But I have made it clear that I want the contract terminated. I do not want this company coming back. If Harrow keeps this company, I will campaign for people not to cooperate with them and instead wait for the police to arrive.
“As far as I’m concerned, this is systematic abuse of residents by employees of the Kingdom. Up to now, I have not had a satisfactory response from the council. They are still seeking assurances from Kingdom, but I do not want to see this company operating in Harrow. There is enough evidence now for the contract to be terminated.
“When I complained, I may have been one of the few willing to speak up, but you have seen the horrendous way they treat people. They are intimidating residents into paying up.”
“Apologise to people who have suffered the abuse from this company”
About the reaction from residents, Kamal said, “The whole of Harrow, not just North Harrow, believes this company should no longer be operating here. I find it absolutely amazing that the administration still hasn’t got rid of them. I think they are trying to buy time and hope the story goes away, but I’m going to make sure it doesn’t.”
He added, “Since I went public in March, so many people have contacted me saying they experienced similar treatment. It is abuse. These officers use bullying and aggressive behaviour to intimidate people into paying fines without questioning them. That’s what happened in this latest incident too. They thought nobody was recording, but fortunately the individual had Meta glasses. To me, it exposes the culture within this company.”
Sharing his message for Harrow Council and the wider North Harrow community, Kamal said, “First of all, terminate this contract immediately. Secondly, apologise to the people who have suffered abuse from this company. As far as I’m concerned, Harrow Council shares responsibility for what residents have gone through.”
He added, “I also believe Asian councillors in the borough should speak up for the community. Many members of the Asian community have been affected, and it is time for elected representatives to stand up, support residents and do the right thing.”
