A leading loyalist paramilitary provided security for top royals Will and Kate on their recent visit to Ulster, the Sunday World can reveal.
Marcus Boreland has a Security Industry Authority (SIA) licence
October 19th, 2022.
And as our exclusive pictures show, UDA figure Marcus Boreland was within feet of the Prince and Princess of Wales when they visited the trendy Trademarket venue in Belfast city centre.
Marcus Jason Boreland (47) – a reported member of the UDA in North Antrim – once served a prison sentence for threatening the life of a Catholic work colleague.
Boreland has previously denied being a UDA leader and has also strongly denied any involvement in criminality.
HE'S BEHIND YOU: Marcus Boreland photographed with Prince and Princess of Wales (William and Kate) on their recent visit to the North of Ireland.
On the a royal visit to Belfast ten days ago, Boreland looked on sternly as the future King and Queen competed in a cocktail-making competition.
Surrounded by admirers cheering their every move, the hugely popular celebrity couple had agreed to take part in a ‘Race of Royals’ to see who could knock out the quickest cocktail.
And as a skilled master mixer shared some of his cocktail trade secrets with the eager royals, Boreland remained close by.
As the Princess of Wales shook up a perfect ‘Up the Lagan on a Bubble’ cocktail, UDA man turned security man Boreland was snapped keeping a close watch from over the future Queen’s shoulder.
“It was at that point – just as Kate was about step onto the cocktail bar – I noticed Marcus Boreland,” one onlooker told the Sunday World.
“He was looking after security for the Princess of Wales. To be frank, knowing his reputation, I was a bit shocked.” .
As royal fans jostled each other hoping for a better vantage point, bulky Boreland made sure they didn’t come too close.
As the royals prepared to move on from the Dublin Road outlet, Boreland strategically positioned himself next to Dame Fionnuala Mary Jay-O’Boyle, Lord Lieutenant for the County Borough of Belfast.
Minutes earlier, Dame Fionnuala met the royal couple at an agreed point on the Dublin Road and she escorted them to the recently opened Trademarket, which is based in a series of high-end steel container units.
Sunday World inquiries this week revealed that Marcus Boreland was issued with a Security Industry Authority (SIA) licence on June 7 this year.
A male associate of Boreland’s – who is not associated with any illegal group – was also on duty at Trademarket along with his the UDA figure when the royal visitors arrived.
The SIA certificate states Boreland’s role is ‘Front Line’ and the licence sector also covers him for ‘Door Supervision’.
Was the SIA certificate issued to Mr Boreland supplied by Mr Bryson from JJ Security Services Ltd which Jamie Bryson is a named director?
Earlier this week, we made contact with Marcus Boreland. He was told we wanted to speak to him about his new role as a security operative.
We even suggested meeting up with him in Ballymoney to discuss the matter, but he point-blank refused.
We contacted the Security Industry Authority – which issued Boreland with his bouncer’s badge – asking if it considered Marcus Boreland was a suitable person to hold a frontline security licence.
Lee Croft, Northern Ireland compliance officer for the SIA, told us: “If an individual has been issued with an SIA licence, then its legal and he’s entitled to operate under law.”
He added: “You may have to take it up with Stormont.”
Marcus Boreland has denied being a UDA leader with links to criminality
Following his trial where he was convicted of threatening to kill a work colleague, Boreland served his time on the UDA wing at HMP Maghaberry.
And he was once the focus of an Assets Recovery Agency initiative, which resulted in the seizure of half a million pounds worth of assets.
Headed by former police officer Alan McQuillan, the agency froze a holiday home in Turkey as well as large sums of money in a range of bank accounts.
The UDA in Coleraine and Ballymoney is led by close friends Kayle Vauls, a champion bodybuilder, and Marcus Boreland, who sometimes works as a doorman at the Manor Hotel, both pictured above.
The Sunday World understands a number of local politicians serving on Belfast City Council have expressed concerns over recent changes in law which have opened the door for former paramilitaries to qualify for security licences.
The informal trip to Trademarket was seen as the highpoint of the royal couple’s three-venue whistle-stop tour of Belfast, one of the first the royal couple took part in since the death of the Queen and the succession of Charles to the throne.
The newly-installed Prince and Princess of Wales also visited Pips suicide awareness centre on the Antrim Road and they spent some time in staunchly loyalist Carrickfergus.
With many thanks to the: Sunday World and Hugh Jordan for the original story.
Follow this link to find out more on this story: Judge refuses to drop the case against suspected UVF dissident Jamie Bryson charged with making a false statement to the Security Industry Authority (SIA) on June 2018.
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