One litter enforcement worker is now suing his ex-employer, alleging he was dismissed for complaining about being ordered to penalize ethnic minorities.
Yesterday, Gary Forrester (39), told an employment tribunal staff from Kingdom Services Group had been told to pursue minorities as they are unlikely to challenge sanctions and have a lower level of understanding of UK law.
Also, he claimed Kingdom employees were at ‘daily risk’ of losing their jobs if they didn’t issue sufficient fixed penalty notices.
Former team manager was stationed at Barnet in London. He stated in witness statements that his boss had become ‘frustrated’ and ‘angry’ after staff were unable to issue additional littering and fly-tipping sanctions for legal reasons.
Kingdom also claimed that he would “double- or triple-bill” councils by ordering his staff to work in other boroughs with contracts with the company while still charging the first local authority for the work.
Kingdom meanwhile has denied ever targeting ethnic minorities and disputed the claim Mr Forrester was a whistleblower, saying that any ‘protected disclosures’ he made were simply attempts to prevent a disciplinary process brought against him.

Gary Forrester (39), yesterday said to an employment tribunal that Kingdom Services Group staff were instructed to pursue minorities as they are unlikely to challenge sanctions and have a lower understanding of UK law. (photo: Kingdom Services Group’s Kent environmental enforcement officer).

In addition, Mr Forrester claimed that Kingdom employees faced a daily threat of firing if they failed to issue enough fixed penalties notices. (stock photo)
Forrester was with Kingdom between February 2020 and November 2020.
He said that Kingdom was attempting to cover up illegal wrongdoings by clients or staff ‘in an effort to retain contracts and revenue.
Forrester claimed that he was incorrectly fired because Kingdom made racist and homophobic allegations in a WhatsApp staff group to give him an excuse to fire him.
The allegations against Mr Forrester were denied by him. They were confirmed in an internal investigation of the Kingdom, according to the tribunal.
The Kingdom chief executive should issue him an apology, assuring that the allegations will cease. He could also offer compensation and reimbursement.
Kingdom’s attorneys presented a response to the tribunal and disputed Mr Forrester’s claim that he was whistleblower.
According to the firm, disclosures made in bad faith were done to try to stop a legitimate disciplinary procedure.
Kingdom denied that Mr. Forrester had been unfairly dismissed.
It also included the following:[Kingdom]The company has and will continue to take every reasonable step to investigate allegations against the [Mr Forrester]This was done in consultation with the relevant authorities.
‘[Kingdom]Notes that client found no truth [Mr Forrester]The claimant also claimed that other entities named in the claims have not taken any further action after the alleged disclosures.
‘[Kingdom]The internal investigation was concluded [Mr Forrester]said disclosures to lack merit.
The firm also stated that it had an internal whistleblowing process and protects people making protected disclosures.
In 2019, a Guardian investigation into Kingdom revealed that the company had generated £1.4m in fines over just eight months in one council area alone.
Two years back, Whistleblowers revealed to the paper that Kingdom employees targeted the elderly for littering as they knew they’d be more inclined to pay the fines.

Forrester was a Kingdom worker from February 2020 through November 2020.

In 2019, a Guardian investigation into Kingdom revealed that the company had generated £1.4m in fines over just eight months in one council area alone (stock pic)
Responding to Mr Forrester’s claims, a spokesperson from Barnet Council said that the company was aware of them and has launched an investigation.
“However there has been some information new to our attention that we will be investigating and we cannot comment any further.
According to Mr Forrester’s statement, a Street Scene waste disposal unit of Barnet Council would not ‘always pick up waste according the schedule’. This could lead to residents and businesses being subject to FPNs from Kingdom.
He also stated that Street Scene workers would place rubbish collected on the street, leading residents to be issued FPNs. Street Scene staff might try to force shops with excessive waste to pay fines and steal from them.
In 2019, former Kingdom litter enforcement officer Shaun Finch, who worked on the streets of Grimsby for six months, alleged that the firm encourages employees to use ‘underhanded tactics’ to generate more revenue, including following people, hiding in cars so as not to be seen, and removing their body-cameras before claiming an offence had taken place.