A LAST minute emergency motion is to be put to councilors tonight over the problems with a security contract between Barnet Council and MetPro.

It has emerged the firm, which was paid £1.2m over five years by the council, was not licensed to do the type of security guarding, including at places with vulnerable people, they were being paid to do.

Labour leader Councillor Alison Moore has asked for an emergency item to be added to the full council agenda tonight asking for a scrutiny committee to be set up to look into the problems.

The firm has fallen foul of local residents after admitting to private filming and has since gone into administration and been sacked from the council contract.

In the motion it states: “Council notes that it has now emerged that MetroPro was not properly licensed, and is now under investigation by the Security Industry Authority.

“Council notes that around £1.2m of Barnet council tax payers' money has been paid to MetPro for security duties in council premises, but there does not appear to be any evidence of a Cabinet or delegated officer decision to employ MetPro.

“Council also notes that there does not seem to be any official Council premises Security Policy in place.

“Council is concerned that proper contract procedures may not have been followed in the engagement of MetPro, and that without a proper security policy in place the Council is vulnerable to something similar occurring in the future.”

Chief executive Nick Walkley has already said there will be an audit into how the contract was awarded and a group of residents are set to present a petition to council leader Lynne Hillan calling for an independent inquiry into the problems at Hendon Town Hall this evening.