Bodyguards for hire in London - What does it cost?
A simple query. A somewhat complicated answer.
And I will answer this burning question of “what are the bodyguard hire rates for London?” question for the selfish purpose of simply trying to cut down on the sheer amount of email queries Christie And Associates receives on the subject from people who don't actually have any real intention on hiring private bodyguards in the UK.
It’s a complex enquiry because it depends on what you mean by ‘bodyguard.’
As the term bodyguard can mean very different things in varying circles and professions. For instance while I was in the South African Police Force being on bodyguard duty literally meant that you were assigned to protect a body, a dead one. And as I am sure you can imagine there was never a shortage of dead bodies to protect while we waited for one of just two state mortuary vans servicing the entire Johannesburg area, home to well over five million people and a crime rate of over 50 murders per day, to come and collect the unfortunate corpse – which often took many hours. And it was a duty no police officer wanted as it meant doing nothing but watching rigor mortis set in. Not to mention the aroma. A highly trained and heavily armed police officer playing bodyguard to a cadaver is not what you picture when you think of a bodyguard in London though, I have no doubt.
Within the professional close protection industry bodyguard means the close protection officer whose job it is to actually protect the body of the principle/client. As there are many different roles within a protective team that a professional close protection officer can take up while carrying out his duties. And the bodyguard within a team in these terms is also not the close protection officer who would be calling the shots. That would be the job of the team leader. More on the different roles within a close protection security detail another time.
Perhaps though the most commonly thought of image conjured when the term bodyguard is used is that of the Hollywood stereotype – A huge gorilla of a man protecting famous celebrities while sporting a pair of shades. Or perhaps men in suites and earpieces and sunglasses such as the American secret service.
…
An experienced former armed police officer or military man and now professional close protection officer is none of the above.
He is discreet, well groomed, polite and professional and a more accurate description of the operative would be: Security adviser and bodyguard - both but first and foremost a personal adviser on all things safety and security to his principal. Christie and Associates supplies the services of such men. These men are not inexpensive and nor should they be. But if you’re really asking how much it costs to hire a bodyguard in London then perhaps you don’t really need one?
Quality in life is not cheap – few would argue this. Alas cheap providers of cheap services always exist. And so they should. It helps separate and identify the gold from the glitter.
So what are the actual pound rates and costs of a bodyguard for hire in London I hear you say?
Well, if you’re looking for the cheapest bodyguard in London and not the best close protection company in London then you should be able to hire a ‘bodyguard’ for as little as £50.00 per hour. If you dig deep enough, that is.
If however you are serious about your security then you would not want to be paying anything less for a close protection officer from a reputable close protection company in London than £55.00 per hour.
And if you’re looking for true quality in security, for the best close protection companies in London that money can buy then you would be happy to pay at least £60.00 per hour for your security adviser and bodyguard in London.
Important for you to note is that the longer the contract the lower the hourly fee. And when you look at monthly and yearly contracts the hourly fees drop dramatically.
That all being said some folks work on tighter budgets than others but still require close protection, fair enough, so the cheaper options are helpful and do indeed serve a kind of purpose.
For the true 0.1 percent nothing is more important than life, safety, security and complete peace of mind - this is of course priceless.
As William A. Foster, the brave American Marine who was awarded the Medal of Honour for his "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty" during the Battle of Okinawa during World War II in 1945 once famously said:
“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skilful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.”
Paying money for services is an exchange of energy – the more you put in the more you will get out.
C Christie,
Managing Director,
Christie and Associates
