YORK'S city centre bars will now be watched over by door staff over the Christmas period, after police chiefs agreed to a compromise over new licence arrangements.

Bosses at F1 Security, who employ 137 supervisors to watch over 80 per cent of the city's nightspots, raised fears that festive revelry could descend into violent chaos without professional cover.

Problems arose over the new Security Industry Authority (SIA) national door supervisors' licence, which door staff were told they must obtain before December 13, when it becomes a criminal offence to work without one.

But now North Yorkshire Police have agreed with the SIA to extend the deadline to February 7 to allow a backlog of applications to be processed.

Venues operating with unlicensed staff faced the possibility of being closed down, and the door supervisors themselves could have put their livelihoods at risk.

Daz Sholl, an F1 director, said he was "delighted and relieved".

"Obviously if our doormen had been off a fair few of the pubs wouldn't have opened and the police wouldn't have had the manpower to cope," he said.

"I'm happy that they have realised doormen are needed in town."

Certain conditions have been put on the temporary exemption.

During the interim period, all door supervisors must be in possession of current North Yorkshire door supervisors badge valid up to or beyond December 13; they must have undertaken and passed the new qualification; and they must have submitted an application to the SIA.

Letters explaining the new requirement and current situation have been sent to licensees throughout North Yorkshire.

Assistant Chief Constable David Collins said: "This is a sensible and practical measure to give all parties concerned the opportunity to fulfil their legal obligations. However I would stress that this is only an interim agreement, and the requirement for all door staff to be licensed still remains."

York licensing officer PC Dave Boag added: "It's a sensible approach in view of the fact that we could have been faced with major problems without doormen over Christmas."

Updated: 09:55 Thursday, December 09, 2004