Kroll, one of the big US names in the bodyguard business, said on Wednesday it would “refocus its strategy” in security and was looking to sell its subsidiary that provides security services in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Simon Freakley, chief executive and president of Kroll, said the company planned to maintain its security consulting services to corporations and high net worth individuals as well as its training activities. But he said it would “start to work [its] way out of contract work for the government”.