Group 4 (company) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Group 4 was a security business operating primarily in the United Kingdom and latterly worldwide.

The company was established by Jörgen Philip-Sörensen, as a division of Securitas AB in 1968.[1] The name derives from the fact that it brought together four different British security businesses into a single entity which became known as Group 4 Total Security and which was demerged from Securitas AB in 1981.[1] Following the decision by the British Government in 1993 to enter into a contract with Group 4 to provide security for prisons, the company was embarrassed after a series of security blunders, including escaped prisoners.[1] It merged with Falck, a Danish security business, in June 2000 to form Group 4 Falck.[1]

1993 prisoner escapes in the United Kingdom

In April 1993 Group 4 held a carefully stage managed press conference to resolve public relations problems after four prisoners were lost in the first seven days of their contract to transport prisoners about. Just after the press conference it was revealed a further two had been lost.[2]

In 1993 Tony Blair described their performance as a comedy of errors during the first ten days of their contract to transport prisoners.[3][4]