Vericola
Vericola, according to Todd the CEO of the company, is a "business risk management company" offering a "bespoke" service to clients "regarding potential threats" to their businesses. [1]
Contents
Energy giants hire spies to infiltrate campaigners
According to communications leaked to The Guardian,
- the energy giant E.ON, Britain's second-biggest coal producer Scottish Resources Group and Scottish Power, one of the UK's largest electricity-generators, have been paying for the services of a private security firm that has been secretly monitoring activists.[1]
- E.ON said it had hired Vericola and another security firm, Global Open, on an "ad hoc" basis as its executives wanted to know when environmentalists were going to demonstrate at or invade its power stations and other premises, as they had done in the past.[1]
Revolving door between undercover policing and the private spying business
Vericola would not discuss its clients, but another leaked email revealed two individuals intelligence it had acquired was destined for, revealed The Guardian. One was Gordon Irving, security director of Scottish Power who joined the firm in 2001 after 30 years in Strathclyde police where he was head of special branch. The other was Alan Somerville, then a director of coal producer Scottish Resources Group. Telling a colleague to forward information about activists in Scotland to the two companies, Todd wrote: "Send … to usual suspects."[2]
Company details
COMPANY DETAILS: VERICOLA LIMITED WOODLANDS BOURNE LANE HAM STREET ASHFORD KENT TN26 2HH Company No. 06555264 Rebecca Todd lists on administrative restoration form: Mobile = (0)7944 896138 Status: Active Date of Incorporation: 04/04/2008 Applied to be struck off register (presumably for not actively trading): 04/08/2009 Company dissolved (after 3 months inactive): 17/11/2009 Administrative restoration (starts trading again): 06/01/2010 Company Type: Private Limited Company Nature of Business (SIC): 7460 – Investigation & security 7487 – Other business activities Accounting Reference Date: 30/04 Last Accounts Made Up To: 30/04/2009 (TOTAL EXEMPTION SMALL) Next Accounts Due: 31/01/2011 Last Return Made Up To: 04/04/2009 Next Return Due: 02/05/2010 Accountants (see separate wiki entry): HMN Accountants, Woodlands, Bourne Lane, Hamstreet, Ashford, Kent. TN26 2HH Company no: 05629237 Appointments Record lists Rebecca Louise Todd as Director, Ian David Howes is a secretary of Vericola. Rebecca Todd is sole share-holder.
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Rob Evans and Paul Lewis Revealed: how energy firms spy on environmental activists The Guardian, 14/02/11, accessed 14/02/11
- ↑ Paul Lewis and Rob Evans [http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/feb/14/environmental-activists-protest-energy-companies Green groups targeted polluters as corporate agents hid in their ranks]The Guardian, 14/02/11, accessed 14/02/11
