47 door supervisors who were checked in bars and clubs in Grimsby and Cleethorpes, were all found to be holding valid SIA licences.

Investigators from the SIA and officers from Humberside Police ran random compliance checks at 15 bars and clubs in the town centres.

SIA Head of Investigation Nigel Davis said: “This exercise follows on from work carried out earlier this year testing compliance with SIA licensing regulations so I am pleased with the results.”

He added: “Grimsby and Cleethorpes attract a high number of holiday makers and weekend trippers so with the summer holidays approaching, we want to ensure that individuals working in positions of trust are doing so legally and hold SIA licences.”

Inspector Tom Shaw said: “We work in close partnership with local door staff as they are integral to a safe night time economy for our community.”

As the SIA head of investigation says above, it is very important that as we approach the Summer season all door supervisors are fully licensed to ensure a safe and enjoyable nightlife.

Here at BeSmart we provide Door Supervisor Training, for more information on this and our other security courses please visit the website.

BeSmart currently have a special offer on our Door Supervisor course, please click here for more details.

A Dorchester pub licence is being reviewed as a result of complaints about underage drinking and excessive drunkenness of customers in the venue.

A spokesman for the pub company Marston’s said: “Marston’s has now appointed a new licensee for the Borough Arms in Dorchester.”

The review was caused by a number of complaints about the premises since Frank Thompson became licence holder and designated premises supervisor.

It stated: “Since Mr Thompson took responsibility for the premises, there has been a number of complaints and concerns regarding underage drinking, drunkenness of customers, assaults, unlicensed door staff and complaints of loud music.”

The submission stated that in August 2008 Dorset Police received a report from a concerned parent of a 17-year-old boy who was able to purchase alcohol at the pub.

On one visit Sgt Yeoman is said to have found door staff unlicensed and saw two underage males leave the pub.

Sergeant Yeoman said in his statement: “I asked Mr Thompson why he was serving juveniles in his pub to which he could offer no explanation.”

“As a result of this, the police and residents in the vicinity are experiencing an increase in complaints and incidents relating to alcohol related disorder.”

For information on our designated premises supervisor and personal licence holder courses please visit the BeSmart website.

A CONVENIENCE store has been stripped of its licence to sell alcohol, after it sold vodka to a 15-year-old girl who ended up in hospital.

Westhoughton Mini Market also sold four cans of lager to a 16-year-old boy.

The store was hauled before Bolton Council’s licensing committee at the town hall after police took action.

Chairman of the licensing panel, Cllr David Wilkinson, said of the offenders: “Both parties, Mr and Mrs Ali, and Mr Iqbal showed a complete lack of understanding of the 2003 licensing act and their responsibilities.

“That led to issues of sale of alcohol to underage persons. The panel accepted those two cases, with their witness statements and evidence from local police officers, that this premises had created a problem in sales of alcohol to minors in the Bolton Road and Central Park area.”

Ghazanfar Ali bought the premises last June and became the licensee. But Parvez Iqbal took over the licence when licensing officers discovered Mr Ali was living in Pakistan.

PC Garry Lee, Bolton’s licensing officer, said police discovered the licence holder had been in Pakistan since September, 2008, and the manager spoke little English.

A review of the licence was instigated and parents of two teenagers contacted local police officers to say their children had been served alcohol at the shop on February 20th and 24th.

PC Lee said: “The revocation of this licence could only be achieved with help and assistance of concerned parents and the local neighbourhood team working together.

“We will continue to pursue anybody who clearly breaches the conditions of their licence.”

Mr Iqbal plans to appeal the decision. His spokesman, Mohammed Saeed, said: “The police didn’t prove anything. They didn’t prove we sold them the alcohol.”

The shop has 21 days to appeal, during which time it can continue to sell alcohol. Police are working to tackle underage drinking across the borough.

Inspector Shane O’Neill said: “We have several operations running to tackle anti-social behaviour in our current hotspot areas. We also run borough-wide operations at peak times such as school holidays to tackle any anticipated rises.

“During the summer holidays, the Safe4summer campaign will run across Greater Manchester. This involves the police, councils and other organisations working together to give young people a wide range of local activities to ward off boredom and the anti-social behaviour that can often follow.”

One of the best ways to avoid this type of problem is to get all your staff trained in the law.  beSmart Training offers the BIIAB Level 1 Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing which covers all the necessary legislation regarding the sale of alcohol by retail, and is ideal for all staff working on licenced premises.

For more information, please call Sue on 020 7237 6007.

A man acting as a door supervisor in Bridgend has been prosectuted by the SIA and fined for working without a licence.

Craig David Howe, 21, of Brackla, Bridgend, Mid-Glamorgan, pleaded guilty to the offence (under Section 3 of the Private Security Industry Act 2001) at Bridgend Magistrates Court last week (Tues 19th May).

He was fined a total of £475 – a £600 fine, which was reduced to £400 for an early guilty plea, and £75 in other costs.

Police were alerted by staff at a venue in Bridgend, where Howe had been working, as they believed he was unlicensed. Howe had been using a photocopy of another individual’s licence with his picture superimposed.

SIA Head of Investigation Jacquie Parker said:

“Although the venue had contracted door staff from an external company, they were vigilant in checking that only licensed operatives were working on their premises. With police we were then able to take appropriate action.

This shows that those flouting the law will be prosecuted. It is essential that all those working as door supervisors, whether in-house or contract, are licensed, giving the public reassurance that only qualified and professional staff are acting in these roles.”

We are really pleased to see that, at last, the message seems to be getting through.  It is unacceptable to have unlicensed door supervisors working in your venue.  beSmart Training are one of the UK’s leading trainers of door supervisors and regularly run courses at our London training centre.  Click here for more information, or call Sue on 020 7237 6007.