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What you should know before hiring a private investigator in the UK

Grant White • 5 December 2018

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It may seem scary at first, but hiring a private investigator doesn’t have to be a stressful experience. A private investigator can be hired just like any other self-employed individual, a gardener, painter, or a handyman.

It’s also important to outline what you are looking to achieve. Maybe you want to catch someone in the act? Maybe you want to establish an address of an individual? Defining this scope will give an investigator much clearer parameters to conduct a thorough, professional, and prompt investigation.

This video gives some common reasons as to why someone would hire a private investigator.



You may also have some misconceptions about what a private investigator is able to do LEGALLY in the UK. This video clears it up nicely.


So, what to do next? Hire a professional UK private investigator! This is how.

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A common problem all agents encounter, especially so in cities is the problem of parking. A good parking location for a vehicle is essential in ensuring line of sight (LOS) and gathering recordings behind tint or disguised. Now you may be thinking, you would solve this problem through foot surveillance. This isn't always helpful, residential areas may not have many people on foot nearby, there may be nowhere to sit or bled in and a host of other reasons may want your bottom firmly planted in a car seat for this one. So you arrive or even better, as part of a recce (reconnaissance) or planning, you notice a parking problem. I find it helpful to break up the different problems into categories, I will list the types of scenarios. 2 Primary types of areas Urban - City or Town Rural - Villages, farms, greenery or forests Primary types of problems No LOS - Cannot observe the property or points of egress LOS but too distant - Cannot record of observe with any accuracy or with the level of responsiveness needed LOS but blocked - Your vision is obstructed temporarily Too close - The risk of exposure is too high and no places further away are available Primary causes of problems Temporary blockage by vehicle - A behemoth has just parked in your LOS Double yellow lines - No parking here Single yellow lines - Restricted at certain times, they will always be the times you need to be their All spaces are in use - The most frequent issue Moved too many times already - You've been moving around frequently and are reaching a point where further movement between spaces will compromise the surveillance A mixture - A mix of the above It is incredibly frustrating when your turn up to perform your surveillance and have nowhere to park. You know the client will not be happy and your stuck in a tough spot. Parking for private investigators is an essential part of the work and for some cases is strictly required to ensure good results.
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