Private and commercial investigations
Tracing, surveillance, fraud enquiries and factual investigation support for businesses, landlords, solicitors and private clients. Each proposed instruction is assessed for authority, purpose, scope and proportionality before it is accepted.
Investigation support
UK Bailiffs works with its associate firm, DOLOS Investigations , where an enquiry is suitable. The aim is to help clients establish relevant facts—not to offer unrestricted access to someone else’s private life.
The appropriate method depends on the client’s authority, the information already available, the seriousness of the issue and the least intrusive way to meet the objective.
Important
An initial discussion is confidential, but it does not mean the work has been accepted. We may request identification, supporting documents and further information, narrow the proposed scope or decline an instruction.
Investigation services
Services are selected to match the facts and lawful purpose of the instruction. Availability is subject to an initial suitability assessment.
Address and contact enquiries using appropriate lawful sources, with the purpose and intended use established before work begins. Where the objective is recovery intelligence rather than locating a person, see our asset search reports For address-only tracing, see our Debtor Trace service ..
Targeted, proportionate observations in circumstances where there is a legitimate purpose and an appropriate lawful method.
Evidence-led support for suspected misconduct, absence or conflicts, subject to the employer’s authority and employment-law considerations.
Fact-finding for landlords, managing agents and housing providers investigating suspected unauthorised occupation or subletting.
Open-source research, background enquiries and verification work to help assess inconsistencies, commercial risk or suspected fraud.
Lawful information gathering to help a creditor or solicitor assess recovery options. Findings do not guarantee that assets are available or recoverable.
Our approach
The scope should be no wider than the legitimate objective requires. Information is gathered, recorded, shared and retained with regard to applicable data-protection and privacy obligations.
Firm boundaries
How it works
Tell us what has happened, what you need to establish and any deadlines.
We verify identity, authority, purpose and relevant supporting information.
The proposed method, limits, deliverables, timetable and costs are agreed.
Approved enquiries are undertaken within the defined operational scope.
Relevant findings, evidence and limitations are presented clearly and factually.
Prepare your enquiry
Reports and evidence
An investigation report may assist legal advice, internal decision-making or proceedings. It will distinguish relevant observations and findings from information that could not be confirmed.
The admissibility and weight of evidence are matters for the relevant court or tribunal. If litigation is contemplated, obtain legal advice early so the instruction and evidence-handling requirements are properly defined. Where the next step is formal document delivery, see our process serving service .
Associate-led delivery
Suitable instructions may be delivered with DOLOS Investigations . The responsible provider, scope and reporting arrangements should be confirmed for the individual matter before work begins.
Private-investigation work is not presently one of the activities for which the Security Industry Authority issues a specific operative licence. For that reason, this page uses the accurate description “experienced investigators” rather than the potentially misleading phrase “licensed investigators”.
Privacy and data
Before personal data is processed, the purpose and applicable lawful basis must be identified. The proposed handling must also be necessary and proportionate. Additional requirements can apply to special-category or criminal-offence data.
Read the UK Bailiffs privacy policy or review the ICO lawful-basis guidance.
This is not an emergency service. Call 999 where there is an immediate risk. An investigation will not be accepted where the purpose, relationship or circumstances indicate a risk of harassment, coercive control, stalking or other harm.
Common questions
A private investigator can use lawful sources and methods to gather relevant facts for a legitimate purpose. They do not have police powers and cannot hack accounts, trespass, harass people or obtain protected information unlawfully.
Potentially. The client’s identity, authority, purpose and intended use are assessed first. The information supplied and lawful sources available will affect the scope and prospect of success.
Yes, where the employer has appropriate authority and the proposed work is necessary and proportionate. Employment-law and data-protection issues should be considered when defining the instruction.
It may support legal advice or proceedings, but no investigator can guarantee admissibility or the weight a court will give the material. Seek legal advice where litigation is contemplated.
The SIA does not currently issue a specific operative licence for private-investigation activity. Other regulated security activities may require an SIA licence, but that is different from calling a private investigator “licensed”.
Enquiries are handled sensitively and on a controlled basis. However, confidentiality is subject to legal, safeguarding and crime-prevention obligations, and an enquiry may be declined.
Operational review
Craig Whinray is Director of UK Bailiff Services Ltd and a Certificated Enforcement Agent with more than 20 years' frontline enforcement experience.
This private-investigations page is reviewed against UK Bailiffs' client-identification, lawful-purpose, proportionality and reporting safeguards. It does not replace legal advice where surveillance, employment, data protection, criminal-offence data or another material issue is legally sensitive or disputed.
Editorial owner: UK Bailiff Services Ltd · Last reviewed 3 October 2026 · Review following material legal or operational change and at least annually.Related support
Establish useful financial and asset information before deciding whether recovery or litigation is commercially worthwhile.
View asset search reportsProfessional service of court and legal documents with clear attendance records and appropriate proof.
View process servingHow UK Bailiffs handles personal information, data requests and privacy obligations.
View privacy policyFurther guidance on enforcement, possession, investigations and specialist support.
Browse information and helpBrowse UK Bailiffs enforcement, possession and specialist property services.
View all servicesReview privacy, vulnerability, conduct and governance information.
View policiesConfidential initial discussion
Explain the issue, your relationship to the matter, the outcome you need and any deadline. Please do not send passwords, bank details or unnecessary sensitive information in an initial email.
Submitting an enquiry does not mean that an instruction has been accepted or that investigation work has begun.
