Guard who wouldn’t let Vogue editor in his own office was temp

The security guard who refused to let Vogue editor Edward Enninful into his own office was a temp covering for the normal, older doorman who was shielding from Covid-19, MailOnline can reveal.

Enninful was refused entry to Vogue House in Mayfair by the guard who not only failed to recognise him, but then told him to use the tradesmen’s entrance at the back of the building.

The doorman was swiftly sacked and an investigation has been launched by his employer.

A source at the media company said the guard was not the person who regularly manned the front revolving door and may not have known he was offending one of Britain’s highest profile journalists.

The normal security official is 60 years old and had been working less due to worries over the coronavirus, the source said. He had been replaced by a temp employed by a ‘third party’. 

Vogue editor Edward Enninful (pictured at Somerset House in November 2016) has revealed that he was a victim of ‘racial profiling’ at his own office

Enninful wrote on social media yesterday: ‘Today I was racially profiled by a security guard whilst entering my work place’

Officials at Conde Nast are now studying historic CCTV tapes to establish whether the temporary worker had ever come across Enninful before.

The magazine’s offices have been largely closed during the pandemic with almost all staff working remotely.

Enninful turned up to work at Vogue’s offices in Hanover Square yesterday only to be advised to enter via a loading bay at the back of the building in Mason’s Arms Mews.

The 48-year-old was described as ‘very upset’ at the way he was treated.

He wrote on social media: ‘Today I was racially profiled by a security guard whilst entering my work place.

Vogue House in London’s Mayfair is pictured today, one day after Enniful was refused entry 

Enninful was told to enter via a loading bay at the back of the building in Mason’s Arms Mews

‘As I entered, I was instructed to use the loading bay. Just because our timelines and weekends are returning to normal, we cannot let the world return to how it was. Change needs to happen now.

‘Conde Nast moved quickly to dismiss the security guard, but it just goes to show that sometimes it doesn’t matter what you have achieved in the course of your life: The first thing that some people will judge you on is the colour of your skin.’

Supermodel Naomi Campbell, a Vogue covergirl, demanded: ‘When will this change? Been happening in UK for so long — so sorry you had to go through that.’

Today an official sat behind a desk behind the revolving door which was locked and only came to the front to direct couriers to the side entrance. 

Enninful, 48, who was born in Ghana but grew up in West London, became the first non-white person to be appointed editor of Vogue in 2017. 

Enninful was described as ‘very upset’ at the way he was treated at Vogue House (file image)

After succeeding the long-serving Alexandra Shulman, he reportedly told friends that his priority was to ‘get rid of the posh girls’.

His arrival at the magazine prompted a mass exodus of staff, including baronet’s daughter and deputy editor Emily Sheffield, who is Samantha Cameron’s sister.

Famous friends were shocked by his experience with the security guard. 

Supermodel Naomi Campbell demanded: ‘When will this change? Been happening in UK for so long — so sorry you had to go through that.’

Actress Gemma Chan commented: ‘There’s so much more to do. Sorry this happened to you.’

Television presenter Trisha Goddard told him: ‘I was once mistaken for the tea lady, but this is mad.’

A Conde Nast spokesman said: ‘ It is understood the security guard, who works for a third party contractor, was dismissed from the site immediately and placed under investigation by their employer.’