Ref. 15110-2A CLUB and pub owner in Swindon predicts that up to a third of bouncers could face the boot because they have a criminal record.

New licensing legislation, which comes into force in the town next month, requires doormen to have a clean background, and industry experts believe this could cause numbers to dwindle.

By the end of the year many club managers are expecting a crisis and fear a shortage could mean some clubs close or operate illegally.

Kevin Fitzgerald, 40, owner of The Furnace nightclub and the Victoria and the Rolleston Arms pubs, said: "The whole thing is at risk. The criminal record thing is a bone of contention.

"Losing some staff who have been convicted for serious offences is a good thing but there seems to be no leeway. Magistrates are sometimes having the final say which is a long process."

Any door staff convicted of a crime in the last three years will be illegal, but if the offence was in the last five years they may be allowed to work. There is a life ban for offences such as rape and manslaughter.

Mr Fitzgerald believes the predicted shortage will cause costs to spiral.

"Door staff will be able to name their price because they will be in demand," he said. "We have to have one doorman for every 100 people. If places can't get enough they won't be able to let as many people in which will have an affect on business.

"This could mean clubs and pubs which are tucked away could choose to operate illegally."

From last month door staff were required to hold a Security Industry Authority (SIA) licence. Bouncers had since June to complete a four-day course and then apply for a licence.

But despite many of them having completed the course and sent in the paperwork only 29 of the 383 door security staff registered in Swindon have received a licence.

The SIA has denied that there is a problem and claims it has cleared its backlog.

Police are allowing an interim policy to be in place until November 23, which will allow door supervisors to work with their current ID badge and documentation, if they can prove they intend to be SIA trained and registered.

A district council spokesman denied that a third of bouncers faced the axe, claiming that the figure was about five per cent.

"We have already weeded out the applicants who have criminal records that debar them," he said.

Ben Payne