The High Court Enforcement Officers Association (HCEOA) is proud to support CIVEA's new At the Doorstep campaign, which highlights the increasing levels of abuse, threats and violence experienced by enforcement professionals across England and Wales.
High Court Enforcement Officers and the Enforcement Agents working on their behalf carry out an important role in enforcing court orders and securing justice for businesses, organisations and individuals. Like many other frontline workers, they should be able to undertake their duties without fear of intimidation, threats or physical harm.
The campaign shines a light on the realities faced by enforcement professionals and calls for stronger protections, greater public understanding and tougher action against those who assault or abuse people carrying out lawful enforcement activity. The HCEOA fully supports these objectives and will continue to work with partners across the sector to promote the safety, professionalism and integrity of court enforcement.
At the Doorstep, a new report from the Civil Enforcement Association (CIVEA), describes an escalating wave of violence against frontline enforcement agents, which is being routinely dismissed as an occupational hazard. CIVEA, the trade association representing civil enforcement agencies employing around 1500 certificated enforcement agents in England and Wales, calls for these incidents to be treated with the same seriousness as threats to other public-facing workers, as physical assaults and verbal threats become a regular feature of enforcement agents’ working lives.
Escalating violence
According to figures published by the sector’s independent oversight body, the Enforcement Conduct Board (ECB), there were an average of sixteen incidents of assault or threats of assault against agents every single day last year. Between January and December 2025, frontline staff suffered 5,896 incidents of threats and abuse alongside 369 physical attacks.
In one incident, an enforcement agent was ambushed by three men and lost the sight in one eye. In another, an agent was threatened with having boiling water poured over him. When one agent called the police after being severely beaten, despite the assailant admitting he made threats to kill, he was given a caution and sent on an anger management course. There was also the tragic case of a county court bailiff who was stabbed to death in Durham earlier this year.
A survey by CIVEA of enforcement agents revealed more than half of agents (56%) face verbal threats every week, and 12% experience physical violence on a weekly basis. Just under half (45%) of agents have suffered negative mental health impacts, and one-third have considered leaving the profession as a result. At the same time, a public survey revealed 77% agree that assaulting an enforcement agent should be treated as seriously as assaulting other public-facing workers, with 66% arguing for stronger legal penalties.
Public misperceptions
The At the Doorstep report also outlines the deep misconceptions that persist about the enforcement industry, which collects over £1billion of unpaid debt each year to fund local services such as schools and social care. One in five (21%) of the public said they form their opinions about bailiffs from television documentaries, soap operas and reality shows, with only (19%) having ever had direct personal contact with an enforcement agent. When asked what proportion of cases result in goods being removed, the most popular answer was 41-50%. The true figure is less than 1%.
The reality is very different – last year, agents identified 350,000 vulnerable people who were unknown to councils, referring them to specialist support teams. Agents also facilitated nearly 8,000 referrals in the 12 months to March, to help people access vital services from debt advice to mental health and housing support. The outdated stereotypes in the media are simply not borne out by the day-to-day reality of modern civil enforcement.
Inflammatory rhetoric
Fuelling these misperceptions is the increasingly inflammatory rhetoric used by some media commentators and politicians, with terms such as ‘aggressive’ contributing to a more hostile environment for workers who are already at high risk. CIVEA asserts that safe working conditions must extend to everyone who deals with members of the public, whether they are an NHS employee, retail worker or an enforcement agent carrying out the instructions of a County Court.
The At the Doorstep report also details the practical steps that government, police and the wider sector can take to create a safer, more informed and more effective enforcement environment:
- Better training for police officers about the powers of enforcement agents and more use of Section 156 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, which protects those working for the public sector.
- Ministerial support for cross-sector protection of frontline staff and a national register of assaults and threats of assault against enforcement agents.
- Tougher penalties for people who attack and abuse enforcement professionals in their line of work, alongside other public sector workers.
- More responsible and accurate commentary by the media and politicians on the work of enforcement agents.
Russell Hamblin-Boone, Chief Executive of CIVEA commented: "Our agents are out on the doorstep enforcing court orders obtained by local authorities to protect public money from people who won’t pay, not those who can’t. They are performing a necessary public function. Yet they are being subjected to levels of aggression that would cause outrage in any other sector.
"This is an invisible frontline. This report shows the reality of what agents encounter simply for doing their jobs. Inflammatory rhetoric from some commentators feeds a dangerous myth that drives this hostility. We are not dealing with stereotypes. We are dealing with highly trained, regulated professionals who identify vulnerable households and signpost them to help.
"The public support is there for tougher action. We are calling on the justice system to protect our staff. The courts must use their existing powers to ensure that those who assault enforcement agents face the full force of the law."
The campaign is also backed by the High Court Enforcement Officers Association (HCEOA).
Michael Jackson, Chair of the HCEOA, said: “This is a hugely important issue and we fully support this campaign. Our members, who are High Court Enforcement Officers, and the Enforcement Agents working for them who recover over £100m a year for businesses and individuals who are owed money, face the same challenges and threats. Enforcement Agents are Officers of the Court enforcing Court Orders and deserve full protection from all forms of abuse and violence while carrying out their duties. No-one should expect this kind of abuse or violence whilst at work.”
The view from the frontline
Mark Bytheway, from Dukes Bailiffs, said: “The enforcement sector has evolved considerably. Regulations are stronger, expectations are higher and transparency is central to how we operate. Structured training and ongoing professional development and clear standards support consistency across the sector. We uphold the legislation, but we do so with respect and understanding. Every visit, every conversation, is an opportunity to resolve a problem and restore balance. That’s why I’m proud of what I do, and proud to help shape the next generation of Enforcement Agents to do the same.”
Lee Tuplin, from Bristow & Sutor, said: “I knock on the door, introduce myself and I ask open-ended questions so that I can listen to why they haven’t paid their council tax, because potentially there may be vulnerability issues that we need to consider before we start negotiating paying the debt over a period of time. Just because someone is dealing with vulnerable circumstances doesn’t mean they don’t have to pay their council tax, but we might need to make changes to our process, so I always proceed on the side of caution. If it’s needed, I give contact details for the Citizens Advice Bureau, StepChange and Christians Against Poverty.”
Real-world examples: The human cost of misperception
Last autumn, a certificated enforcement agent was carrying out a lawful visit to recover two years of unpaid council tax from a debtor who had repeatedly ignored correspondence from the local authority. The visit was conducted in accordance with the Taking Control of Goods Regulations. The agent had identified himself, explained the purpose of his visit and was following the prescribed legal process. He was ambushed by three men. In the attack, he lost sight in one eye.
This is not an isolated case. Another incident saw a former police officer working as a county court bailiff stabbed to death in Durham. In Sheffield, an agent was threatened with having boiling water and sugar poured over him. In another case, an enforcement agent who had been severely beaten was advised by the police to call 111. The assailant admitted GBH and threats to kill but was only given a caution and an anger management course. These are just some of the incidents of violence that have been recorded.
