THE image of "bouncers'' as thugs looking for a fight is being consigned to history in a Swindon educational course.

So is the word "bouncer" the people in charge of letting customers in and keeping trouble out are now known as door supervisors.

And their duties include everything from diplomacy to saving lives with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

New College has brought in expert Owen Smorthit to offer National Vocational Qualifica-tion courses leading to a Door Supervisor's Vocational Cert- ificate.

Successful candidates gain a place on Swindon Council's register of accredited door staff.

Some are sent on the course by their employers, while others pay their own tuition fees.

The course has helped dispel the hard-man image of doormen, epitomised by the burly characters made famous by comedians Hale and Pace.

Such is the sensitivity of the image of door supervisors that the people benefiting from the course asked not to be identified.

One student explained: "The old days of just being a bouncer and flinging people out are long gone. "I tend to talk to people, but if it gets to the point where force is used, it must be reasonable force."

All stressed that trouble -makers were very much in the minority, with the majority of people just looking for a good time.

Mr Smorthit, 47, is a former soldier who was awarded the BEM for his 18 years' service to his country and later worked as a safety training officer for Wiltshire Police in Devizes.

He has been running the courses in Bristol for two years, but they are new to Swindon.

Of the 14 students on the first course, all passed, and 11 more are currently in training.

The syllabus covers subjects including first aid, law, the citizen's powers of arrest and detention, social skills and drug awareness drugs are often a factor in violence among customers.

Mr Smorthit said: "Some of the course deals with conflict resolution it is trying to get to a clean result without the use of force. "The manner of the door supervisor is reflected in their customers a happy, cheerful and polite door supervisor will have happy, cheerful and polite customers."

"And troublemakers are in the minority.

"The majority of people come to pubs and clubs for a good time, and they go home happy.

"The problems come with the minority who are aggressive and looking for a fight."