WARNINGS of "anarchy on the streets" have been issued as Bournemouth's pubs and clubs head toward a security crisis.

Just 30 of the town's 800 doormen have a new security licence that becomes compulsory from next week.

Private security companies in Bournemouth and Poole have joined forces to oppose the new scheme, which they believe could force pubs and clubs to operate with little or no security.

But with the deadline rapidly approaching, one councillor has claimed the new rules could spark serious public order problems.

From Monday, only people with a new licence issued by the Security Industry Authority will be entitled to work on the door of a pub or club in the south west of England.

But door supervisors claim they have experienced severe delays in receiving licence application packs and that many forms have had to be returned to applicants.

Members of Bournemouth Borough Council's licensing committee were told that the town needs 500 doormen on Friday and Saturday nights, yet only 70 in the entire south west region have the new licence.

David Fry, representing Alamo Security, Opium Security and Frontline, told councillors: "We are working as hard as we can to ensure our staff are licensed in time but will not have enough time to do this as the scheme stands at present.

"This, we are afraid to say, will mean that we, along with other security suppliers, may not be able to fulfil our clients' needs regarding the amount of door staff they require, meaning that pubs and nightclubs in your constituency could be operating with little or no security. This is not a scare tactic, it could happen.

"The public order consequences, if this does happen, do not bear thinking about."

Cllr Stephen Clarke said: "When this came up a couple of months ago, I said it would cause anarchy on the streets and I still think it will.

"The law in this case is an ass. It's an impossible situation. The law is silly but having said that it's the law and what can we do?"

The SIA has already delayed the scheme from August 23 to enable doormen to apply for licences and said it has "no intention" of moving the date again.

In a letter to the council, Andrew Drane, the SIA's deputy chief executive, said: "We have received widespread support from the private security industry operating in Bournemouth.

"There is a high level of awareness among both door supervisors and licensees, many of whom are taking active steps to ensure their compliance with the new regulations."

A spokesperson for Dorset Police said all of the town's door supervisors were already highly qualified and registered with their own scheme.

"We work closely with partners in the town including the council, door supervisors and licensees to ensure the safety of all those who want to enjoy a night out," he said.

First published: Sept 9