Scandal at Luxury London Apartments: Residents and Staff Secretly Filmed
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Residents, workers, and visitors at West End Quay in Paddington – where apartments go for millions – spied on for months using hidden smart glasses – with senior management’s approval
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Union says surveillance was used to monitor and target union members, raising serious human rights concerns.
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Residents and workers now preparing multiple legal claims against WEQ, totalling more than £200,000.
LONDON, UK – 26th September 2025 – Residents and workers at the posh West End Quay (WEQ) development in Paddington have been secretly filmed by a staff member using high-tech glasses – with the full knowledge of senior management. An independent investigation – triggered by a collective grievance from concierge staff – has confirmed it.
A concierge used Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses to record residents, workers, and visitors – months of covert surveillance – all approved by the Managing Director and Development Manager. Even after the investigation, the staff member was seen continuing to wear the glasses.
This shocking revelation comes in the middle of an ongoing strike, as workers accuse WEQ of trying to strip them of basic rights, including prayer breaks and proper notice periods, and requiring them to consent to arbitrary searches of them and their cars – plus giving up their legal right to negotiate. Pay rises agreed in ACAS talks were withdrawn when staff refused.
Union Claims This Was Union-Busting
United Voices of the World (UVW), the workers’ union, says it’s obvious the surveillance was used to target union members. Petros Elia, UVW General Secretary, said:
“This is not a rogue employee. It is a systemic failure from the top. Management has shown callous disregard for the law, privacy, and the rights of workers and residents. Further investigation has revealed that WEQ was not even registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) until 22nd May 2025, meaning they were unlawfully processing data of residents and workers, including CCTV. Their conduct during negotiations has also been reprehensible – agreeing to a deal, then reneging on it and making it conditional on workers signing away their rights. They have no place running a company or managing people. They need to be held to account.”
Workers have already filed several legal claims against WEQ totalling over £200,000. The covert surveillance has now sparked a new group tribunal claim. Union officials warn this raises serious human rights violations, including breaches of privacy and freedom of association.
Residents Consider Legal Action
Residents at WEQ are also considering their own legal action after learning they may have been secretly filmed.
Franco Lombardo, Concierge Spokesperson, said:
“This is cruel, callous, and shows a profound indifference to the law. Residents and staff should feel safe in their homes and workplaces. WEQ management has broken that trust. We are calling for immediate accountability and urgent action to protect everyone at West End Quay.”
