IPAF Elevation UK 2026: Powered Access Fraud and Prevention
On 1 July, IPAF held its Elevation UK event at Hilton St George’s Park, the home of English football and a fitting venue as excitement builds around the 2026 World Cup.
The theme of the day was fraud prevention, with sessions designed to highlight key risk factors and practical ways to mitigate them. Equipment theft, rental fraud and cyber-crime continue to cost the UK construction and rental industries millions every year, and the threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
This year’s Elevation UK programme featured a strong line-up of speakers and industry experts, including representatives from the Security Awareness Special Interest Group (SASIG), the National Construction and Agricultural Theft Team (NCATT), Eagle Platforms & Training Ltd, and the IPAF team.
After a networking lunch, the conference opened with a presentation from IPAF CEO and Managing Director Peter Douglas, who shared statistics on IPAF’s activity in 2025 and outlined future plans. He urged delegates to report powered access incidents and near-misses through IPAF’s Accident Reporting Portal, noting that reports can be made anonymously and help IPAF analyse data to improve safety outcomes.
The next speaker was Liz Murray, Chief of Staff at the Security Awareness Special Interest Group (SASIG). Liz highlighted that 43% of businesses had experienced some form of cyber breach in the previous 12 months and explored the significant impact cyber-attacks can have on businesses, citing examples including Jaguar Land Rover, Marks & Spencer and Knights of Old.
Andrew Huddleston KPM, National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Theft of Construction and Agricultural Machinery at Northumbria Police, and Chris Piggott, Detective Sergeant and Supervisor on the National Construction and Agricultural Theft Team (NCATT), then took to the stage. Their session focused on the scale of construction hire fraud in the UK and internationally. They highlighted warning signs that a request may be fraudulent, from errors in emails to unusual customer behaviour when equipment is delivered. They also shared practical steps rental businesses can take to reduce risk and stressed that the hire industry must do more to prevent fraud. The session included discussion of the CESAR identification scheme, which IPAF now officially supports, and how it can help make stolen machines easier to track and trace. Police officers are also receiving basic examination training to help them identify suspicious machinery and movements.
After a networking coffee break, James Haigh, Chairman of Eagle Platforms & Training Ltd, Wendie Walke, Finance Director at Eagle Platforms & Training Ltd, and Dan Haigh, Sales Director at Eagle Platforms & Training Ltd, shared lessons learned from a real-life rental fraud. They explained how criminals posed as a blue-chip construction company to open an account with Eagle, supported by paperwork that appeared legitimate, including bank details, insurance documents and references. Eagle also secured credit insurance. The arrangement initially appeared genuine, with the company seeming to carry out live contracts and inviting Eagle to bid for further work. However, at the peak of the activity, payments stopped and a significant amount of equipment was stolen. The session underlined the importance of robust checks, clear procedures, tracking technology and knowing where insurance cover may fall short.
The conference concluded with a panel session on the dos and don’ts of rental fraud, hosted by Euan Youdale, Editor of Access & Rental International. Andrew Huddleston KPM, Chris Piggott and James Haigh joined the discussion, answering questions from delegates and reinforcing the need for vigilance, collaboration and stronger processes across the sector.
After closing remarks, delegates moved into a football-themed evening of networking, including a drinks reception, BBQ dinner and penalty shootout. The evening concluded with after-dinner speaker Neil ‘Razor’ Ruddock, the former Premier League defender known for his entertaining storytelling and candid reflections on football, health and personal transformation.
With England winning on the night, it was a fitting end to a memorable IPAF Elevation UK 2026. Thank you to everyone who attended, contributed and helped make the event such a success.
With special thanks to our event sponsors:
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Official Event Media Partner
We look forward to seeing you next time!
