Torfaen's litter enforcement firm in trouble (From Free Press Series)

Torfaen's litter enforcement firm in trouble

11:30am Wednesday 20th March 2013 in News By Will Bain, Reporter

A CONTROVERSIAL enforcement company that hands out fines for littering and dog fouling, has gone into administration.

XFOR Local Authority Support was brought in by Torfaen council in January to clamp down on residents who drop litter or allow their dogs to foul in public.

But now the company has gone into administration, and staff working in the area claim the company has failed to pay them, just three months after taking on the contract.

Independent Group leader on Torfaen Council, Elizabeth Haynes, has described the situation as “ludicrous”.

Cllr Haynes, said: “It’s hugely embarrassing for the council and it does have to make you question whether due diligence was done on the company.

“I asked the authority a question about this a week ago but have still not yet had a reply.”

Last Friday some staff received a loan fromKingdom Security, another enforcement company, to cover their wages.

Kingdom appears to have acquired XFOR Local Authority Support, though when approached on the issue the company declined to comment.

The XFOR team, of which there were seven members in Torfaen, would hand out £75 fines to offenders.

Members of the team say they have not been paid since starting work on January 14, for XFOR, which is also contracted by Blaenau Gwent and the Vale of Glamorgan authorities in Wales as well as several others in England.

A Torfaen team member, said: “They owe me about £1,800 in total since January in wages and bonus payments.”

In an email seen by the Free Press, XFOR operations co-ordinator, Kirsty Woddison, told a staff member: “XFOR are now in administration, the administrators will nowbe dealing with your salary payment.”

London-based SFP group confirmed it was dealing with the administration.

According to Companies House, XFOR went into administration on March 12.

A Torfaen Council said: “Due diligence was undertaken in appointing XFOR – it had years of experience of local authority enforcement and had completed a successful trial with Blaenau Gwent.

Torfaen council isn’t owed any money by XFOR, as the contract means it is paid a proportion of every ticket issued.

“The contract between Torfaen council and XFOR cannot be assigned to a third party so we’re currently considering whether a new agreement to continue with this enforcement trial is worth pursuing.

“Discussions with Kingdom Securities will take place.”