PROFESSIONAL RECOVERY OPERATORS FEDERATION

STGO legislation a PROF update

In the issue 423 of Professional Recovery (the first of 2026) Richard Goddard President of the Professional Recovery Operators Federation published an update on the work he has been doing to try and get clarification and guidance on STGO legislation. 

He posted copies of two letters (repeated below) and said “I am posting these letters for your reassurance that if you are pulled over hopefully the officers in charge will have received the same correspondence that you have in your possession. Please also take on board that a pragmatic approach by the police pertains specifically to the relevant laws discussed in the letters”. He then went on to say “Break any other legislation, thinking you are covered by the letters, and you will be prosecuted. Please take the efforts of all parties concerned into consideration on this matter, as we will as always be under the microscope”.  

He thanked the NPCC and DVSA, for their guidance and their cooperation regarding this complicated legislation. He then went on to thank Derek Firminger and stated “You’ll see from Derek’s page; his technical contribution has been invaluable and as always I thank him. Hopefully his contribution alongside the letters posted will give VRO’s vital guidance that may prevent VRO’s from prosecution. Derek had informed the relevant parties of the legal gauntlets the recovery industry were being expected to run, and I informed them of the unintended severe consequences of trying to make VRO’s run that gauntlet”. The full article can be read in edition 423 of Professional Recovery.