9.11 back to haunt Securicor

A COURT victory for American lawyer Mary Schiavo has increased Securicor's potential liability for big damages claims resulting from 9.11.

A US federal court judge last week ruled that victims' families could pursue lawsuits against the Securicor subsidiary Argenbright, airlines United and American, aircraft maker Boeing and the owners and operators of New York's twin towers.

Schiavo, formerly the inspector-general of the US transportation department and a pilot, targeted Argenbright because it handled security at two airports used by the aircraft hijackers two years ago.

Securicor, which has operated for 70 years in the UK, has ring-fenced its US subsidiary to prevent US courts from trying to seize its British assets.