A SECURITY firm is to open a regional office in Southampton after winning a contract to keep watch over the city’s docks.

Profile Security Services is to establish a regional base after landing the lucrative deal with Associated British Ports (ABP).

The four-year contract was won in the face of stiff competition and will transfer staff from the port’s existing security supplier, G4S, to Profile on January 1.

The firm will manage security for all the port’s cargo installations, as well as overseeing cruise passenger movements for prestigious operators such as Cunard, P&O Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruise Line, Saga and Fred Olsen.

Profile managing director Martin McGowan- Scanlon said: “This is a substantial contract which reflects the high quality service provided by Profile as well as a competitive pricing structure and a flexible approach to customer needs.

“It also further cements our position as the leading independent security company within the security industry.

“It is a significant win and adds to our other recent successes in the area of Critical National Infrastructure.”

As part of the new arrangements, Profile Security has committed to opening an office in Southampton.

The company already manages port security at a number of ports.

These include Ramsgate, Goole, Leith and its award-winning operation in Hull. It will also start working at Ipswich port early in the new year.

Profile is headquartered in Lincolnshire at Barrow-Upon-Humber and has offices in Aberdeen, Birmingham, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, London and Warrington.

The firm also opened a new base in Cardiff in July, bringing the number of offices in which it operates to ten.

The South Wales office has been overseeing the company’s mobile patrol, alarm response and vacant property inspection services.

Established in 1980, the business provides a range of services from manned guarding, electronic security solutions and alarm response through to facilities management and special services such as lone worker monitoring, investigations and surveillance work.