Permissions glitch?

[luigivampa]

Not sure if it's a glitch, config error by me or something else but I'm having trouble with guards and the groups that they're flagged to attack. The problem:
I make a player complete a quest and grant them a new rank as a reward

PatrolArea:
texts:
description: Patrol surrounding area.
Help the Clerk to become one of the Wardens but watch out for the Mobsters.
completion: Promotion Gained.
[Clerk] Go upstairs to see the Chief for work from now on.
acceptance: Quest Accepted.
[Clerk] Patrol the outside of New City and check that all is in order.
repeats: -1
objectives:
'0':
'0':
type: move distance
amount: 500
message: All is well in New City, go back to see the Clerk.
rewards:
'0':
type: rank
rank: 'user'
replace: true
with: 'warden'

I think this part of it is correct. It seems to do what it's supposed to. I check my permissions file and the rank 'warden' is given and the rank 'user' removed. There are two guards set to attack a 'user' to stop them getting to a second quester until they have gained the rank of 'warden'. The trouble is the guards continue to attack the player even once the 'warden' rank is achieved.
The npc-profile.yml of one of the guards:

'15':
guard:
flags:
user:
priority: '1'
safe: 'false'
type: GROUP
default:
type: GROUP
priority: '1'
safe: 'false'
mobster:
priority: '1'
safe: 'false'
type: GROUP
toggle: 'true'
aggressive: 'true'
type: BOUNCER
radius: '10.0'
basic:
talk: 'true'
owner: npcnewcity
talk-when-close: 'true'
name: Warden
inventory: 267/1/0,AIR*35,
color: '15'
balance: '0.0'
items: 267:0,306:0,307:0,308:0,309:0,
location: peppino,-44.43491471830552,74.0,-208.56505432205822,-63.434948,0.0
look-when-close: 'true'

If I reboot the server the necessary changes take effect so how do I update the guards from within the game? Any help you could be would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

Chris.

11/10 for the citizens plugin btw!