The following is not the first time groups in Dorset have spread hate and lies and it will sadly not be the last:
A self-styled “community patrol” in Bournemouth has been exposed as a far-right vigilante operation steeped in anti-migrant hatred, despite its claims of neutrality and public service.
The group, calling itself Safeguard Force, boasts of 200 volunteers and thousands of pounds in donations, but beneath its fluorescent vests lies a toxic mixture of racism, intimidation, and fantasies of violence against asylum seekers.
A Force Without Oversight
Dorset Police have now publicly refused to endorse Safeguard Force, citing “significant concerns” about the group’s lack of vetting, training and accountability. Assistant Chief Constable Mark Callaghan said organisers failed to provide evidence of proper safeguards, including on the use of body-worn cameras, force protocols, or medical training.
“We will not be endorsing their activities,” he stated, warning of the dangers of unregulated groups patrolling the streets in makeshift uniforms.
The local council has also distanced itself, stressing that the group has been unwilling to share information.
Yet Safeguard Force continues to operate, styling itself as a bulwark against “crime” in Bournemouth, while its online footprint tells a far darker story.
From “Protection” to Provocation
At the centre of the group stands local businessman Gary Bartlett. Publicly, he insists Safeguard Force is non-political, non-discriminatory, and inclusive. Privately, his digital trail tells another tale.
Bartlett administers a Facebook group called Taking Back Our Country, which is awash with Islamophobic posts, anti-migrant propaganda, and calls to arms. He has repeatedly used the platform to promote protests outside Bournemouth hotels housing asylum seekers, including the Roundhouse and Britannia, urging followers to “stand together against illegal migrants being housed in our town.”
In July 2025, Bartlett posted that “the fight needs bodies, not just typing from the sofa” — a call many interpreted as an incitement to physical confrontation.
His online behaviour has also veered into sinister humour: one post featured an AI-generated image of a gun mounted to a seaside telescope, pointing at the English Channel, which he described as his “new business venture.”
A Movement of Hate
Bartlett’s group regularly shares material that demonises migrants and Muslims. Posts not authored by him but tolerated in his forum include images of armed Arab children with captions suggesting they were being trained to kill, and grotesque fantasies about “Muslim invaders” being impaled.
One of his allies is UKIP leader Nick Tenconi, who appeared at a Bournemouth protest calling for “mass deportations.” Bartlett enthusiastically promoted the rally.
Far from a civic patrol, critics say Safeguard Force is a vigilante network built from an online ecosystem of hate. “These are people drawn from a Facebook group steeped in racism,” said a local Stand Up To Racism spokesperson. “This isn’t about public safety, it’s about intimidation.”
Dangerous Power Vacuum
The rise of Safeguard Force raises wider questions about the dangers of unregulated militias filling perceived gaps in policing.
Labour MP Jessica Toale has warned of the “real danger of abuse of artificial power”, noting that policing the streets is not the job of “self-appointed, unregulated groups.”
Meanwhile, Dorset Police stress they are already providing visible reassurance, pointing out that 289 official foot patrols were conducted in Bournemouth in just one week this summer.
The Mask Slips
On its own Facebook page, Safeguard Force insists its mission is to “create safer, more supportive communities… not to police, but to protect.”
But the contradiction is stark. While claiming to act with “empathy and compassion”, the group is rooted in a parallel online community where migrants are vilified, violence is joked about, and calls for deportation rallies are amplified.
The veneer of civic duty is wearing thin. Behind it, campaigners and police see a dangerous mix of racial hatred and vigilantism: an unofficial militia in hi-vis, patrolling Dorset’s streets not in the name of safety, but of fear.
If Gary Bartlett would like to appear on the Dorset Eye interview programme Ten By Six to explain why hate and vigilantism are the solution to the worldwide refugee crisis, then please feel free to contact us.
