Operators who employ a bouncer at their premises will need to check that every one employed has a licence, under new regulations being introduced next year.
The new Security Industry Authority (SIA) has been set up to oversee the security business - including security guards, wheel-clampers and nightclub bouncers - which in the past has been largely unregulated. Under the Private Security Industry Act 2001 and the Licensing Bill 2003, now going through the committee stages in Parliament, people may not work as door supervisors without a licence issued by the SIA.
Part of the vetting process will be a check on past criminality. The SIA believes this could squeeze out about 18% of current supervisors.
Door supervisors' licences will be introduced at the end of 2003 in a regional pilot scheme, details of which will be announced soon by the SIA. They will then be rolled out across England and Wales next year.
The British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) has won "grandfather rights" for its National Certificate for Door Supervisors - Licensed Premises. This means that holders of the certificate will not have to retrain to qualify for a licence.
The BII's director of qualifications, Cathy Smith, said it was thought 120,000 people work in door supervisors' jobs, and with staff turnover of more than 40% this presents a big training challenge.
Currently, under the entertainment licensing system, bouncers have to be registered if the local authority where they work runs a registration scheme. But many local authorities do not, and this has left the field unregulated.
The BII is working with the Norwich Hotel School and solicitors Howes Percival on a pilot training scheme for door supervisors, financed by the European Social Fund and the East of England Development Agency.