A West Midlands firm is backing a call for violence against enforcement agents to be treated as seriously as attacks on other public-facing workers.
The appeal follows the publication of At the Doorstep, a new report from the Civil Enforcement Association (CIVEA), which describes an escalating wave of violence against frontline agents that is too often dismissed as an occupational hazard.
Figures from the sector’s independent oversight body, the Enforcement Conduct Board, show there were an average of 16 incidents of assault or threats of assault against agents every day last year. Between January and December 2025, frontline staff suffered 5,896 incidents of threats and abuse, as well as 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, the trade association representing civil enforcement agencies employing around 1,500 certificated enforcement agents in England and Wales, found that 56% of agents face verbal threats every week and 12% experience physical violence weekly.
Nearly half (45%) have suffered negative mental health effects, and a third have considered leaving the profession.
A separate public survey found 77% agree that assaulting an enforcement agent should be treated as seriously as assaulting other public-facing workers, with 66% in favour of stronger legal penalties.
Edd Moore, Operational Governance & Assurance Director at Marston Holdings, said:“Our agents in the West Midlands go out every day to carry out court orders, and they do it with respect and with an eye out for anyone who is struggling.
“No one should have to go to work expecting to be threatened or attacked. I am proud of our team, and I want them to know that the sector is behind them.
“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.
“We need the courts and the police to use the powers they already have, because our agents are trained professionals, not the stereotypes seen on television.”
Enforcement agents collect more than £1bn of unpaid debt each year to fund local services such as schools and social care. Yet when asked what proportion of cases result in goods being removed, the most popular answer from the public was 41-50%. The true figure is less than 1%.
Last year, agents identified 350,000 vulnerable people who were unknown to their local councils and referred them for specialist support.
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.”
CIVEA is also calling for better police training on agents’ powers, a national register of incidents, ministerial support for protecting frontline staff, and more accurate commentary from the media and politicians.
