City Councillors today approved a new Door Supervisors Registration Scheme with immediate effect. In future any person working on the door in premises with an Entertainment Licence must have successfully completed a training course and have no disqualifying criminal convictions.

Licensees will be responsible for maintaining control in accordance with the conditions attached to Entertainment Licences. They will have to maintain a register on site showing wh is working at the door and the register will have to be available for inspection by the Police or Council Officers.

The decision follows a lengthy consultation process between the City Council, Entertainment Licensee, door supervisors and the Police following the collapse of the previous scheme administered by The Chamber of Commerce on behalf of the Entertainment and Licensing Forum. Options presented to the Councillors included the licensees registering their own staff or a private company running the scheme.

Councillor Eric Linton, Chair of the City Council’s Licensing Panel said,

"Until there is a National Door Supervisor Registration Scheme the new scheme will ensure that Door Supervisors are trained and are suitable for the job. It is hoped that all licensed premises in the City employing door supervisors will participate in the scheme, even if they do not have an Entertainment Licence."

Councillor recognise the ideal solution to the problem would be for the Council to run its own scheme which is not possible for legal reasons. Therefore, Councillors will support the introduction of legislation for a National Door Supervisors Scheme by maintaining pressure at regional and national level.