Date: 31st March 2008
Source: Northern Echo
Fight Night
In Binge Drink Britain, bouncers are on the front line. Owen Amos spends a Friday night on the door in Stockton and discovers just what doormen put up with.
Mark Kidd, bouncer, has suffered a broken leg, a fractured skull and a smashed wrist at work. He's been stabbed in the arm, had a fingertip sliced off and been attacked by a madwoman with a stiletto. At work. Tonight, I'm with him outside a Stockton nightclub. At work. I pray for peace and keep an eye on girls in heels.
The leg, smashed in three places, happened while tackling a knifeman outside a Bournemouth nightclub.
"They jumped up and down on it," says Mark, matter-of-factly. "It could have been amputated.
They spent nine hours putting it back together." His right leg, packed with steel plates, is now a half-inch shorter than the other.
The fractured skull happened at the end of a night, after asking someone to leave. The guy responded with an ashtray, whacked across Mark's head. The stiletto woman, too drunk to stand, had also been asked to leave. She wanted to stay. Jousting with her Jimmy Choos, unsurprisingly, convinced no one.
Mark has, I realise, lived through an episode of Street Crime UK. That grey and green CCTV footage, starring street-corner scrappers, is familiar.
He's been there. Does he not feel fear?
"Everybody will experience an adrenaline dump," Mark says. "It's part of fight or flight. What your body's doing is giving you extra speed, extra power, making you unable to feel pain. People mistake that for fear."
Easy mistake to make, I reckon. Does he get threatened?
"It runs like this," he says, smiling. "They shout You bald ****, I'm going to come back and get you, going to come back and stab you'. I have been in situations with rather large crime figures involved, but mostly I ignore it. If I had a pound for every time someone threatened to kill me, I'd be a rich man."
Tonight, thankfully, should be quiet. We're at Cellar 51, a nice bar with a band that plays Suspicious Minds and Ruby Tuesday. The punters are mixed: young lads wearing T-shirts, students wearing embroidered hoodies, women wearing too much hair spray and perfume.
I'M 6ft 2ins, so could pass, from distance, as a bouncer. On closer inspection, my clothes betray me. I wear a suit, black shirt and - for some reason - a red tie. I look like I'm off to a disco. In the 1980s. Mind, the tie's not all that betrays me. There's also my absolute absence of menace.
At 10pm, the punters stroll in, cheery and fairly sober. Mark greets them all. Not just good manners, I learn. "I'm gauging their reaction, their response,"
he says. "If they have attitude, or are drunk, they don't come in."
It's not the only precaution.
"All the time, I'm clocking everyone who's walking up and down the street," he says. "Are they fighting?
Are they p****** in the street? Are they throwing traffic cones? It's the easiest job in the world letting them in. It's the hardest getting them out."
Mark, 44, has worked doors for 19 years, mainly in Bournemouth. He's seen the social scene shift from terrace culture's tail-end, to raves, to the 1990s cocaine epidemic. Now, he says, more people carry knives. He could write a book.
On his first night, in Bournemouth, he stopped known drug dealers entering his club. "We knew who they are, and they weren't too happy," he says.
"We were in the firing line at that point."
But, Mark says, he immediately felt comfortable.
"You don't do this job on your own - you work as a team. When you try to do things on your own, it doesn't work. You end up in hospital. You don't see police officers or prison warders working alone.
"If there are two, three, five guys fighting and you go over to sort it out alone, what's going to happen?
They're going to end up leathering you."
Mark - whose colleague, Sean, takes the entry fee - will win more arguments than he loses. He's 6ft, a martial artist and sturdy. As well as working doors, he trains other bouncers in everything from calming conflict, to law and locks. A bouncers' licence doesn't mean you can bounce, he says, like a driving licence doesn't mean you can drive. Some bouncers ruin others' reputations.
"It's like any job - you've either got talent or you haven't," he says. "Not a lot of people have got what it takes. You don't have to be a ninja, or Bruce Lee, but you do have to stand up and be counted. You have to have b*******.
"You're there to stop trouble, and if it happens, you have to step up. You have to get violent people off the premises. I can tell more or less straight away if someone can do the job or not. It's not about posing and chatting up women. It's about sensing danger. A good doorman can stop trouble before it happens."
By 12pm the atmosphere changes. Students stumble up stairs, eyes in different directions, mouths working overtime. Most want to befriend the bouncer. He's the hard man, he's in charge. They want to bask in his image. Problem is, when they're speaking, he loses concentration. Or, as he puts it: "When they're dribbling s*** in your ear, you take your eye off the ball."
So, when they start conversation he, more often that not, ignores them. "People think I'm ignorant, but I'm not," says Mark, who hasn't drunk since he was 22. "I just don't want to talk to them." Some, too drunk to spot the journalist, talk to me. About the town, or the tunes. Or, more frequently, the tie. It's bad enough being sober round tanked-up mates, when they're strangers, it's tedious. I think of times when I've tried to befriend bouncers - we all have, I think - and I feel ashamed.
Then, a young lad approaches sheepishly. "I'm really sorry about last week," he tells Mark. "Sorry about that mate. Really sorry. Am I all right to get in?" Last week, the lad tried to speak to Mark. When that approach was declined, the lad kicked off.
Mark, satisfied with the chastened drip, lets him in.
There is, though, no trouble. The punters harp on, but are harmless. It's not like this everywhere.
In six months at a Darlington club, Mark saw more trouble than in the past six years combined. In some ways, he says, he prefers the rowdier spots.
"In high-pressure premises, you're on your toes all the time," he says. "You're running the gauntlet all evening."
By the early hours, I can barely grip my pen. My fingers are icy after just three hours on the pavement.
Before I go, I ask Mark bouncing's best bit.
"When you make the world a better place," he says, laughing. "But when you stop someone getting hit, or stop someone getting glassed. That's satisfying."
I head to my car, past a Street Crime UK scene.
Girls in short skirts bawling, lads in short sleeves brawling. I sit in my car, heaters blasting, with two thoughts. I'm glad I'm not a bouncer. I'm very glad some people are.
Northern Echo
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Date: 31st March 2008
Source: NE Business
Forget about bouncers, I’m in the meet and greet industry
STEVE Howe will be a familiar face to many who have spent a night out in Newcastle over the last 23 years.
At the age of 17 he landed his first job as a doorman and now, despite building his door supervisory and security company into a £5.5m business, he is still often to be found working on the door of the city’s leading nightspots at weekends.
“I love it. I still go out on a Friday and Saturday night and I still enjoy it. I still have a hunger for the job. I enjoy meeting people and I enjoy the banter,” says Howe, 40.
“I go around the venues we look after to make sure that everything is going well.
“I think it’s good that the staff see their managing director out on the doors and I want to ensure they are portraying the right image for the company.”
Howe speaks at great length of an industry which is trying to rid itself of the “bouncer image” into one of customer service, something he describes as a “meet and greet” industry.
He continued: “This industry has changed dramatically. We are not bouncers. We are not thugs. We are not criminals.
“This is now a meet and greet industry. Our door supervisors are trained to have customer service skills.
“All of our door supervisors are now Security Industry Authority accredited and to get to SIA level they have to pay up to £400 to go on a course, and then pay a further £245 to get a licence.
“No one with a criminal conviction can get a licence.
“We interview all of our prospective door supervisors to make sure they are suitable for our business. I believe these changes are now having an impact and that the public image of doormen is now changing.”
This emphasis on the softer side of what can, no doubt, be a challenging job is demonstrated by his own path into the business.
He describes the family difficulties which led to him securing his first door shift at the Studio nightclub in Newcastle.
“My son Daniel had only recently been born and had been diagnosed with Fragile X autism and he needed 24-hour care.
“My wife worked during the day, while I looked after Daniel and I needed to find a job at night. This was the first job I could get which would allow me to do that.”
But Howe soon found he had the skills needed to succeed in this line of work – no doubt helped by his devotion to judo -– such as an ability to mix with and talk to people of all types.
By the time he quit working the doors to start his own business in 2000 he was reputedly the highest paid doorman in Newcastle earning £25 an hour.
Howe has noticed a number of changes over the years on the busy weekend streets.
He says the most challenging situations doormen encounter is when a domestic incident, which started earlier at home, continues in a pub or a club.
Howe says most confrontation occurs when door staff refuse entry to people who are too drunk, are under the influence of drugs or are under-age.
He also claims women are much more trouble than men when a situation boils over and to help diffuse such potentially difficult situations Phoenix has an active policy of recruiting female door staff. During his spell at the nightclubs on Tyneside he has had to help deal with two murders and he has had a gun and a knife pulled on him. But he says he always finds a way to cope.
“You need good communication skills. It’s better to talk your way out of trouble and you need to have a lot of common sense,” he says.
“I have the gift of the gab, and you have to have a lot of confidence.
“The key is to avoid confrontation.
“People like to be treated the way you like to be treated. You have to talk to people the way you like to be talked to.”
This emphasis on people skills is evident in the way Howe views recruitment.
“I am a great believer in people. A business is only as good as the people it employs. If it wasn’t for my staff I wouldn’t have a business.”
After 15 years on the doors Howe was becoming restless and looking for a change of career and he was considering joining the police force.
But his friend and former police sergeant Brian Wilde suggested he set up his own business – and he has not looked back since.
“I thought I’d give it a go and see what happened. I reckoned I could always join the police force afterwards. Eight years down the line and this is where we are.”
Where they are now is quite impressive. With 770 door supervisors to call upon, the business has an annual turnover of £5.5m.
Phoenix Security’s clients include most of Tyneside’s premier hotels, many of its leading bars and clubs, including the national chains JD Wetherspoon, Luminar and Mitchells & Butlers.
And the company is now on the acquisition trail.
Howe said: “We are currently in talks with a company from outside the region.
“This will further increase our profile. The venues we currently operate outside the North East are a result of contracts with the venue’s operators. This will be the first time we have acquired a company from outside the region and this is a strategy we intend to pursue.”
He would not name the company, but said Phoenix was also on the lookout for potential takeover targets in the North East.
On the back of the expansion plans the company hopes to almost double its turnover to £10m by the end of 2009.
Howe added: “We are very good at what we do and we plan to grow our business. There is no reason why we cannot become one of the biggest operators in the UK.”
These developments come months after the company spent a six-figure sum developing Phoenix Eye, a distinct element of the Phoenix brand, which it is in the process of extending across the region.
Phoenix, which has a CCTV control centre at its new Killingworth headquarters, has contracts with businesses including Newcastle Racecourse and Sita for camera surveillance, backed up by mobile patrol support.
Howe believes that one of the best things to happen to the industry in recent years has been the establishment of closer working relations between Police, licensees and the door supervisory industry.
He sits on the Newcastle licensing committee and his proximity to Tyneside’s drinking culture affords him an authoritative and diverse view on binge drinking.
“The drinking culture is no different to what it was 15 years ago. It has not changed; it has always been there,” he says. “It’s just that for some reason it is always on the news now.
“If anything, pub operators are now far more responsible.”
But he admits that there have been some negative consequences as a result of the recent relaxation of licensing regulations and the move towards 24-hour drinking.
“People now come out later. They get cheap supermarket booze and when they come out they are already a bit drunk,” he says, adding that this and increasing levels of drug use has led to increased numbers of fights and scuffles.
“People have changed. There used to be fights and that was it, but now some people want to follow our doormen home. The kids now are more eager to have a fight. Some of them are just out of their head on drugs and drink.”
However, as a 1st dan black belt in Judo, Howe can obviously look after himself and he helps run the Newburn judo club as well as visiting the gym two to three times a week.
Howe says he does it because he like to pass on his knowledge to others in much the same way he does when he visits the venues his company secures at a weekend.
And with the unusual lifestyle come pretty unsociable hours. Most weekends he will not get home until 4am and then he’s up at 8am to play the role of family man with Cheryl and their two children Lewis, six and Georgia, aged two.
And Howe is still completely devoted to Daniel, now aged 23, from his first marriage, who still needs round the clock care.
This devotion to his family, his business and his judo mean he is constantly on the go but he does ensure there are adequate compensations. Known as Mr Holiday by one of his senior staff, last year he visited Portugal, Ibiza, Florida, Dubai and Miami all with his family.
“I take so many holidays because these are really the only times I can spend some quality time with my family,” he says.
After a hard week at work putting in 10-12 hour days most managing directors would have put their feet up over the Easter weekend break.
But not Howe – he spent the holiday in Darlington working on the door at a new venue the business has recently signed up.
“I can’t ask people to do the job if I can’t do it myself,” he says.
There used to be fights and that was it, but now some people want to follow our doormen home.
NE Business
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Date: 25th March 2008
Source: Hereford Times
Bouncers barred by red tape delay
BOUNCERS across Herefordshire face the possibility of being locked out because of red tape.
The door staff employed by pubs and clubs around the county are required by law to be registered with the Security Industry Authority (SIA).
But several Hereford bouncers have been told they cannot work because their licences have not been renewed with the SIA - despite applications being sent off up to four months ago.
Clive Hardman, who runs Hardman Security, which supplies licensed staff to Hereford venues including the Jailhouse, says he has been waiting more than seven weeks for his renewal to be passed, while other door staff he knows have been waiting since November.
"I can't run my business without a licence and, if this continues, I'm going to lose my business," said Mr Hardman, from Hinton, Hereford.
The Hereford Times was unable to get a comment from the SIA at the time of going to press.
Hereford Times
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Date: 21st March 2008
Source: WtD Forums
Online petition created against the delays in renewing licences
Petition to 10 Downing Street - Sign here
A doorman has started a online petition against the long delays some security staff are having renewing their SIA licence.
Front line security staff throughout the UK have been suffering major headaches because they have spent months waiting for their licences to be renewed.
Exeter doorman Jim Myers finally received his licence after 4 months and losing more than £1,500.
Door Supervisors in Swindon staged a protest last Saturday night against delays in the renewal of their licences. In Swindon alone, more than 50 Door Supervisors cannot work because they are still waiting for their licence.
BBC television programme Watchdog are also seeking to talk to Security Staff who are suffering months of waiting. To contact Watchdog send your concerns to the following email address roland.stone@bbc.co.uk
Date: 21st March 2008
Source: ne business
Doorman meets and greets growth
A COMPANY which provides door security for pubs and clubs has unveiled plans to become one of the largest in the UK as it looks to make its first acquisition, just months after branching into CCTV surveillance.
Newcastle company Phoenix Security was launched in 2000 by nightclub doorman Steve Howe and now turns over £5.5m, providing door supervisors for bars and clubs across the North East and with contracts for venues in Yorkshire and Scotland.
Phoenix is now on the acquisition trail. Mr Howe said: “We are currently in talks with a company from outside the region.
“This will further increase our profile. The venues we currently operate outside the North East are a result of contracts with the venue’s operators. This will be the first time we have acquired a company from outside the region and this is a strategy we intend to pursue.”
He would not name the company, but said Phoenix was on the lookout for potential takeover targets in the North East.
On the back of the expansion plans the company hopes almost to double its turnover to £10m by the end of 2009.
Howe, who still does door supervisor shifts at the weekends in Newcastle city centre, said: “We are very good at what we do and we plan to grow our business. There is no reason why we cannot become one of the biggest operators in the UK.”
The developments come months after the company spent a six-figure sum developing Phoenix Eye, a distinct element of the Phoenix brand, which it is in the process of extending across the region.
Phoenix, which has a CCTV control centre at its new Killingworth headquarters, has contracts with businesses including Newcastle Racecourse and Sita for camera surveillance, backed up by mobile patrol support.
Finance director Neill Winch said: “We looked at the market for CCTV, remote monitoring and lone man working and Phoenix Eye is the ideal product for these fields. This is a growing market and we are looking to expand this service across the region.”
Howe, who started working as a doorman at the age of 17 and is a judo black belt, is keen to stress that all the 700 staff at his disposal are accredited by the industry regulatory body.
He said: “This is now a meet and greet industry. We are not bouncers. The industry has moved on massively over the last 20 years.”
Phoenix Security’s clients include most of Tyneside’s premier hotels, many of its leading bars and clubs, including the national chains JD Wetherspoon, Luminar and Mitchells & Butlers
ne business.co.uk
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Date: 20th March 2008
Source: Express and Star
Doormen wait months for licence
Venues across the West Midlands are facing major headaches because doormen have spent months waiting for their licences to be renewed.
Pub and club door staff have been unable to work for up to four months following a delay in processing applications by the Security Industry Authority. The authority moved premises from Newcastle to London November and the upheaval has caused the renewal forms to pile up, leaving venues in the lurch.and people’s livelihoods under threat.
Neil Wilkes, a 31-year-old married father-of-three from Merridale in Wolverhampton, has been forced to give up his full-time job as a door supervisor at Wolverhampton Civic Hall due to the blunder and find new work.
Doormen are not entitled to claim benefits because they are technically not unemployed.
“I really enjoyed my job but I had to get a new one because I have a family to support,” he said. “I sent off for my renewal on November 14 and have been told it could take another four months to sort out.”
Mr Wilkes, who works for city-based security firm BBP which provides door supervisors for the Civic, has written to Wolverhampton South West MP Rob Marris to plead for help with the situation.
“It was a really interesting job but I won’t go back to it full-time again,” he said. “This has been a nightmare. It has been stressful time for my wife but at least I have found a new job I enjoy.”
The Security Industry Authority has blamed the delays on a backlog of licence renewal forms caused when it moved.
But Gary Jones, who runs BBP Security, said the problem was “messing with people’s livelihoods”. He said at least six of the door supervisors on the company’s books had been affected by the delays.
“It is an issue which really needs bringing up because really good members of staff are being told they can’t work,” he said.
“A spokeswoman from the authority said: “We had to move our operation in November to improve the service which is what has caused the backlog.
“We are still going through all the licence renewals and this is a problem we are aware of. We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.”
Express and Star
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Date: 17th March 2008
Source: Swindon Advertiser
Bouncers go out on strike
BOUNCERS bonded together in a show of unity over the weekend against an agency they claim is putting the public's safety at risk.
The doormen left their posts for about an hour from 9.30pm on Saturday from bars including Lava Lounge, Walkabout and Revolution, joining together between Fleet Street and Bridge Street.
The mass walkout was to protest against delays in the renewing of their licences by the Security Industry Association (SIA) which has left many door staff out of work.
The Association of Swindon Door Supervisors said that the badges were vital to their occupation and if they were caught with non-valid licences, they faced stiff fines by the SIA.
A spokesman also said that some of them had been waiting six months for their new badges and in the meantime their livelihood was at risk and the public they were supposed to protect were in danger.
He said: "This is an extremely frustrating situation for everyone involved.
"All of our members have followed the guidelines set by the authority and even paid them £245 and they're still unable to deliver the badges on time.
"In Swindon alone more than 50 door supervisors cannot work because their badges have not been renewed.
"It is a question of health and safety, because if the badges aren't renewed there are not enough door staff, therefore in time of emergency customers' welfare is at risk.
"Our members have done everything humanly possible to have our badges renewed.
"All they want to do is earn a living and that has been taken away from them."
The council's licensing manager Lionel Starling, said he sympathised with the bouncers' concerns.
"Their inability to process licences in good time is causing both the police and the council concern for public safety," he said.
"The SIA should arrange for three-year badges to be given an automatic three-to-six-month extension, to allow time for an acceptable level of service to be put in place and for them to clear the backlog.
The SIA, which is under the remit of the Home Office, has said that although it didn't feel it appropriate to comment on the actions of the door supervisors it did admit to delays while processing applications.
Jessica Clinkett, communications officer for the SIA said: "We have had functionality problems with our system and have been having delays.
"We have been doing all we can to process applications as soon as possible."
Swindon Advertiser
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Date: 17th March 2008
Source: Exeter Express & Echo
Doorman gets licence at last!
Exeter doorman Jim Myers has finally received his renewed licence to work after waiting four months and losing more than £1,500.As the Echo has previously reported, Jim had faced a frustrating wait for clearance to work since he applied for his licence renewal in November.
He is now trying to claim back the money he lost from not being able to work 28 shifts, totalling £1,569, since his licence expired in December.
The Security Industry Authority has already refunded his £245 application fee.
As one of many doormen in the city who have faced delays with their applications, Jim is hoping to set up a Doorwatch group.
He said: "When I still didn't have my badge, I spoke to an area representative for SIA and said I was extremely angry about the situation.
"He must have passed that on because I had a phone call that day saying my renewal had been granted.
"It just seemed so rushed through once I started kicking up up a big fuss.
"I still know about 12 people who are waiting.
"If doormen joined the Doorwatch group they'd have a lot more backing and it would give them the confidence of knowing they're not on their own.
"I'd also hope it would achieve a better working relationship with the police."
Exeter Express & Echo
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Date: 15th March 2008
Source: Hartlepool Mail
The long armband of the law
ARMBANDS are being used to help tackle booze-fuelled problems in late-night bars.
Seventy glow in the dark armbands have been handed out to door staff across Hartlepool to show which security workers are fully trained and licensed and to help police and revellers see the supervisors in dark conditions.
The bands also have a clear pocket through which the Security Industry Authority (SIA) licence card will be visible.
PC Terry Swales, Hartlepool Police's licensing officer, said: "This is just another example of how we are making Hartlepool a safer place to socialise.
"The armbands help us and the public to identify door supervisors during busy periods in dark situations.
"Without the support of Hartlepool Licensees Association and various organisations in the town this scheme wouldn't be possible."
The four main security organisations in the town – NES Security, Ellwood and Hoyle Security, Jackson's Security Services and Phoenix Security – are all backing the scheme which is operating under the banner of the Safer Hartlepool Partnership.
Richard Sewell, chairman of the licensees association, said: "We are committed to keeping a busy but safe night-time economy and we are pleased that the door supervisors have adopted these armbands."
Dave Garside, of NES Security, added: "We want people across the town to enjoy their nights out and we will get involved in any project that helps this to happen."
Hartlepool Mail
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Date: 14th March 2008
Source: BBC News
Bouncers protest at badge delays
Door security staff in Swindon are to stage a protest against delays in processing licences.
The bouncers are supporting colleagues who have not yet received the badges they need to work, due to hold-ups.
New laws introduced in England and Wales in April 2005 require security workers to go through checks and exams by the Security Industry Authority.
Friday's half-hour protest was brought forward from midnight to 2100 GMT for safety reasons.
Borough council licensing officer Lionel Starling said a midnight protest would have caused some "quite serious problems".
"After discussions with the police, my understanding is they were looking to move their protest forward to a time when the pubs and clubs are much less busy, when it would be much easier to cope with that kind of situation," he said.
BBC News
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Date: 14th March 2008
Source: BBC News
County-wide bar ban for Asbo man
A man with a history of aggressive behaviour in bars and clubs has been banned from entering licensed premises in Cheshire for 10 years.
Dennis Fontenot, from Gladstone Court, Hawarden, north Wales, was given the anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) by magistrates in Chester.
The Asbo also bans Mr Fontenot, 34, from entering specific areas of Chester between 1830 GMT to 0700 GMT.
Cheshire Police applied for the Asbo - thought to be the first of its kind.
CCTV footage
Inspector Mel Williams from Cheshire Police said: "Fontenot has made life miserable for bar staff and customers in Chester City Centre.
"He has physically attacked door staff and members of the public and has been abusive, threatening and intimidating - showing scant regard for the law.
"This unprecedented Asbo restricts his movements and behaviour and gives increased reassurance to those who work at licensed premises across the county."
CCTV footage showing Mr Fontenot's pattern of behaviour was shown to magistrates to help support Cheshire Police's application.
BBC News
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Date: 14th March 2008
Source: MK News
Doorman cleared on violence rap
A doorman has been cleared of trying to provoke violence outside Buddha Blue nightclub after claiming he acted in self defence when he punched a clubber.
Arif Hamid, 27, breathed a sigh of relief and hugged his solicitor outside court after he was found not guilty yesterday.
Magistrates at Milton Keynes were shown CCTV footage taken outside the Theatre District nightclub, from December 2 last year.
It showed several people being ejected by the door staff before Mr Hamid was seen punching one and restraining another.
He was charged with two counts of using threatening, abusive, or insulting words or behaviour towards two members of the public contrary to section four of the Public Order Act 1986.
On Monday, Ros Wilmin, prosecuting, told magistrates that at 3.30am two men were ejected from the club.
She said magistrates had to decide whether there was any suggestion that one of the men had a weapon and whether it was a reasonable attempt to restrain them.
Several police officers gave evidence and described a scene of "mayhem" when they arrived shortly after the incident.
But PC McElvenna described Mr Arif as "obstructive" and "uncooperative".
Yesterday, the defence called on a young clubber who witnessed the start of the commotion inside the venue.
Amy Peppard, a personal assistant, said a black male tried to chat her up on the dance floor, before grabbing her wrist when she declined his advances.
She said: "He said he knew girls who would beat me up.
"He gestured towards his pocket, pulled out a thick dark handle and said 'are you scared now?'
"I do believe it was a weapon of some sort."
She alerted security inside the club who threw the man and his friends out of the club.
Danny Crane, another doorman, told the court that the group were shouting threats at the door staff.
He said: "He was a black man in his 20s and he threatened to stab me.
"He said he had a knife on him.
"I warned Arif to be careful." Gemma Stokes, representing Mr Hamid, said: "The CCTV shows us a snapshot, not the whole context.
"He was told that man had a knife and he had a split second action to make.
"At the vital seconds he throws that punch you can't see that male's right hand.
"This was a man who was simply doing his job and protecting the public.
"This was reasonable force." Chair of the magistrates Mr Dray said Mr Hamid was abusive to police, accusing them of failing to act, but found him not guilty of the charges.
He said: "We believe Mr Hamid thought there were knives present and acted in self defence.
"His actions were reasonable in the circumstances."
MK News
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Date: 12th March 2008
Source: Portsmouth News
Two men charged in death of Doorman
DETECTIVES investigating the death of Gosport bouncer John Bookham have charged two men.
But charges of murder have been ruled out.
John Bookham, a doorman at Nelson's in High Street, Gosport, was involved in a fight outside the Waterfront Quay pub on Sunday, September 16, at 11.40pm.
He was taken to hospital and later discharged. Two days later he was taken to Queen Alexandra Hospital where he later died.
Mark King, 35, of Seahorse Walk, Gosport, has been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Michael Yates, 32, of Seahorse Walk, Gosport, has been charged with using threatening words and behaviour.
Julie Knight, spokeswoman for Hampshire police said: 'There was no evidence to connect the alleged assault on Mr Bookham to his sudden and tragic death on the morning of September 18, 2007.'
Both men will appear at Fareham Magistrates' Court on Thursday, March 27.
Portsmouth News
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Date: 12th March 2008
Source: Swindon Advertiser
Expert praises security at Angelo's in Swindon
AN EXPERT hired to investigate trouble at Angelo's nightclub said he saw door staff act responsibly to cases of violence and drunkenness.
The Swindon club, branded "the most dysfunctional in Britain", was handed a closure order by council licensing bosses last October.
But the punishment was delayed until the club had the chance to appeal the decision.
Giving evidence on the second day of the appeal, expert witness Terry Davies described his experiences at the Fleet Street club.
He told the court: "I personally found it a relaxing venue and a friendly venue.
"I had no problem walking round the club, into the smoking area and round the bars. I didn't feel in anyway intimidated or threatened. I spoke to quite a few customers."
Describing some of the incidents he saw, Mr Davies said: "Two men at the front of the queue had clearly had too much to drink.
"They had not been in Angelo's prior to that.
"The doorman refused them entry but the smaller of the two tried to punch him.
"He was grabbed by another of the doormen. The two doormen and the two youths fell out into the road. They were joined by a third doorman. At that point police officers came along and supported them, then took the young men to the other side of the road where they were arrested."
Mr Davies said he witnessed another drink-fuelled scuffle the following night, on the club's dance floor.
"The doorman was very quick in getting to that incident. I hadn't seen it because he dealt with it very, very quickly."
Mr Davies said he knew of four matters involving violence relating to Angelo's that took place during last July and August.
Overall there were 90 incidents, ranging from public disorder, drunk and disorderly people to violent assaults around the Fleet Street club area.
But Mr Davies said a large number of the incidents were cases of revellers property being stolen, and were not the club's fault.
After analysing the 60 incidents he considered relevant to the licensing decision, Mr Davies gave the court a list of recommendations.
He suggested Angelo's should hire agency door staff rather than staffing their security in house.
He said owner Angelo Rossi's son Guillermo Rossi, who is trained to work on the door, should assume a role overseeing the overall security instead of staffing the door.
He said five members of security staff should be employed on Friday night and six on Saturdays in addition to Mr Rossi junior.
He suggested better communication technology, so security staff could call their colleagues for assistance where needed.
He also recommended panic buttons be installed in two areas of the club in addition to radios.
The hearing continues.
Swindon Advertiser
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Date: 7th March 2008
Source: Ilford Recorder
Doorman murder victim named
THE MURDERED victim of a shooting attack outside a bar in Ilford has been named by police.
Syed Muhammad Zuheb Mehdi, 23, living in Ilford and originally from Pakistan, was gunned down outside Blue Ice Bar, Cranbrook Road, Ilford, on Saturday night while working as a doorman.
He died in the early hours of yesterday (Wednesday) morning after his condition deteriorated at an east London hospital.
A white 37-year-old doorman with him was also shot in the back of his body. His condition has been described as stable.
Police are looking into whether both men were registered as doormen.
Mr Mehdi's family has been informed, but police are awaiting formal identification and the result of a post mortem held at East Ham Mortuary yesterday afternoon.
A police spokesman said: "Police were called at 11.35pm on Saturday to reports of shots fired outside the Blue Ice bar.
"The area was busy and residents must have seen and heard activity.
"At this early stage it is believed that the suspect, wearing a grey hoodie, approached the victims on foot before firing shots from a handgun.
"He made off in a direction unknown at this time."
No arrests have been made and enquiries are continuing.
Anyone with any information that could assist police can call Trident officers on 020 8733 4704 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Ilford Recorder
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Date: 5th March 2008
Source: Eastbourne Herald
Clubber bit doorman
Biting a doorman's arm and kicking a police officer while resisting arrest has cost an unemployed 23-year-old £300.
Ryan Mark Trewin, of Crawley, appeared before the town's magistrates after being convicted of assaulting a member of staff at TJs, resisting arrest and assaulting an officer during a night out in Eastbourne.
Magistrates were told that Trewin became aggressive in the nightclub during his brother's 21st birthday celebrations on July 8 2007.
Claire Prodger, prosecuting, told the court the incident had occurred just after 11.30pm when Trewin was asked to leave the premises.
He refused to do so and was subsequently escorted downstairs and outside the building.
The court heard that the defendant continued to be aggressive and abusive and was put in a headlock by a member of door staff.
Ms Prodger told magistrates the supervisor was bitten by Trewin and 'could feel teeth sinking in to his skin'.
The victim was treated for the bite at Eastbourne DGH.
Trewin was restrained by door staff at the nightclub until police officers arrived. He was then arrested for assault and handcuffed due to his violent behaviour.
Magistrates were told he started to push back and forth and kicked an officer in the leg.
The prosecution showed magistrates a photograph of the door supervisor's injuries and asked them to consider compensation payments for both the assault victims.
Madeleine Priestly, defending, explained Trewin had pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest in October 10 but denied the other assault charge because he felt the nightclub staff had been 'heavy handed'.
However, he was found guilty of the offence at a trial on January 25.
Ms Priestly said, "He didn't leave the nightclub when asked because itwas his brother's 21st birthday and he felt he had not done anything to warrant leaving the nightclub.
"He wanted to stay and enjoy the birthday with his brother and his friends. It is a wholly unfortunate episode from start to end.
"Had it been any other night, and not his brother's birthday, I have no doubt he would have left."
Ms Priestly also explained the defendant had been drinking heavily on the night and had recently sought counselling for his alcohol abuse.
Trewin, who lives with his grand-mother, was given a 18-month community order with 120 hours unpaid work.
He was ordered to pay £200 to the doorman he bit and £50 to the police officer he kicked. He was also ordered to pay costs of £50.
Eastbourne Herald
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Date: 5th March 2008
Source: Ifsec
68% Of UK Security Industry Support Government ID Cards
68% of the UK security industry has backed the Government’s plans to introduce compulsory ID cards for UK citizens, according to a poll carried out by IFSEC, the world’s largest security exhibition. This surprising result comes just a week after Gordon Brown vowed to "move ahead" with ID cards, subject to a vote in Parliament.
The Government says ID cards will help protect people from identity fraud, tackle illegal immigration, stop people who are not eligible from using public services and disrupt criminal and terrorist activities. The plan has faced strong opposition from rival political parties, the media and human rights activists.
Brian Sims, Editor of influential security magazine Security Management Today comments, “There really should be no objection to a national ID card as long as the information stored is secure, used for the right purposes and doesn’t aid the creation of a Big Brother State. We all carry umpteen cards around with us in any case, including bank cards, driving licences and National Insurance cards. Eight out of every ten members of the general public support the idea, and it’s great news that the security industry mirrors that opinion. It’s true that the cost of implementing the scheme is something of an unknown, but can we afford not to do so in an era when our national security is continually under threat?”
“One need only point to the recent ‘scandal’ involving Security Industry Authority licences being issued to illegal immigrants and those without a lawful right to work in the UK. If a national ID card had been in place and rigidly enforced then incidents like this, which are hugely damaging to the Government’s credibility, could be avoided.”
James Blue, Event Director IFSEC, comments, “With the threat of terrorism still high, instances of ID theft rising and the vast extent of illegal immigration in the UK at the moment, it seems more and more people are coming round to the idea of ID cards. Many other European countries already have official ID cards, and it seems the security industry here are behind the scheme.”
IFSEC 2008 is the ideal event for anyone interested in further information regarding ID cards, in particular the new RFID & Smartcards area within the exhibition, which will feature an interactive demonstration area showcasing the technology in action across a range of sectors including healthcare, retail, government, universities and transport.
Ifsec
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Date: 4th March 2008
Source: The Sun
Doorman's 'natural' death
A DOORMAN found dead at a bowling alley was not killed but died of natural causes, police confirmed today.
Seven people were arrested after the man, named locally as 27-year-old Steve Longhurst, died at Bowlplex, in Longwell Green, South Gloucestershire, in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Police initially arrested the seven people, aged between their 20s and 40s, on suspicion of assault and later murder.
But a post-mortem result revealed the man died of natural causes and his death has now been referred to the coroner.
The seven arrested were released on bail pending further enquiries into public order offences. It is believed they may have been verbally abusive to the security guard, from Kingswood in Bristol, shortly before his death.
Police sealed off the entertainment centre, at Aspects Leisure Park, near Bristol, where the guard, employed by Stuart Leisure Security, died.
Yesterday, Det Insp Richard Budd said: “We know there were in excess of 100 people using facilities at Bowlplex during the early hours of this morning.
“Officers are this morning studying CCTV footage and speaking to people who were either working or visiting Bowlplex at around the time of the incident.”
Avon and Somerset Constabulary today asked for anyone near the bowling alley between midnight and 1.30am to get in touch.
Bowlplex manager Marena Hyatt-Willis said: “The circumstances are still very vague. The only thing we can say is we’re liaising with the police to help them conclude the matter.
“Our thoughts are with the man’s family.”
The Bowlplex has a late bar which is open until 1.30am on Fridays and Saturdays and also runs a disco, pool room and video room.
A spokeswoman for Stuart Leisure Security said: “We’re deeply saddened and shocked at the tragic loss of Steve Longhurst.
“Our thoughts are with his family at this sad time. We are unable to comment further due to the police investigation taking place.”
The Sun
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Date: 4th March 2008
Source: York Press
‘Too drunk to get in’
NIGHTCLUBS in York are now turning away as many as 200 people a night because they are too drunk, the city's licensing manager, John Lacy, revealed today.
He said the number of people getting turned away from one venue had increased by as much as 400 per cent.
"Door staff are now turning away as many as 200 people a night, as opposed to 30 or 40 three or four years ago," he said.
"The reason for this is that people seem to be getting drunk quicker. People are getting drunk at home before they come out so by the time they get out on the streets they are merry. And people are coming out later."
Dean Hibbert, of Full Stop Security, which provides and trains door staff for a range of venues in York, including Vudu Lounge in Swinegate, agreed, but believed changes in the licensing laws could also be behind the rise.
He said: "I definitely think the number of people turned away has gone up.
"It's partly because the legal system and the council dictate to us that as a code of practice if we think somebody is intoxicated that is a good reason not to let them into your venue.
"More and more licensees and door staff are worried about litigation.
"If you knowingly let someone into your venue when you know they are drunk, they could be doing a test purchase and you could get a hefty fine. The level of accountability has grown.
"If somebody is drunk you need to get them home, not encourage them to drink even more. If they are not able to make that decision for themselves then somebody else needs to make that decision for them. I think that's a good thing."
He said Full Stop door staff even called taxis for people who they think are too drunk to go inside a venue, to help them get home. He also encouraged door staff to keep a record of the people they had turned away in a "refusals book".
Alan Coleman, manager of Nexus nightclub in George Hudson Street, said a "handful" of people were also turned away from his venue every night.
He said: "It is something that we are quite strict on within our door policy that all our door staff have to learn when they start. People are turned away on a regular basis.
"Some people have had too much to drink and we don't want to run the risk of them coming in and causing an injury to themselves or any kind of disruption to anyone else.
"We monitor everyone as they approach the building. We don't just tell people they're not coming in; we stop them and ask them a couple of questions to gauge some reactions from them so we can make a better decision.
"During the course of a night we always get a handful of people who we don't let in but we stop people and have that conversation with them quite a number of times.
"We've always been strict with our door policy so I don't think the number of people we turn away from Nexus has gone up.
"But when the licensing laws changed a lot of venues did have to look at their door policies more carefully and so they probably did see an increase."
York Press
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