The strong arm of the law in North Yorkshire has been asked to pass on its training techniques for door staff to the rest of the country.

The Rank organisation, which is opening a £3 million nightclub at Clifton Moor in the New Year, has been so impressed by the York Police Doorsafe scheme that it has asked North Yorkshire Police to train all its door staff nationwide.

The move coincides with an announcement today that a separate British Standard for door staff is being launched in an attempt to bring greater professionalism into the industry and news that a National Vocational Qualification is also being drawn up.

Rank regional manager Will Sherman said the York initiative was widely recognised as a flagship scheme, which the company will now replicate throughout its organisation.

But he said Rank was eager to embrace the scheme in tandem with a new approach to its door staff.

"We want to break down the traditional image of the bouncer," he said.

"When we open in York we will be piloting a scheme to recruit people who see working on the doors as the first step on a career path.

"If they excel in their job then they could be offered management positions with the company - so we are looking for potential general managers not meat heads.

"Through this scheme we will have access to the police computers, which will allow them to sort the wheat from the chaff and give us the right people to work with."

PC Arthur Swaine, of York Police licensing department, who was instrumental in setting up the city's Doorsafe scheme, said prospective Rank door staff will also have to agree to be randomly tested for drugs.

"In view of the inconsistencies continually appearing nationally in relation to door staff, this training scheme offers an exciting prospect of partnership between the police and the entertainments industry," he said.

"Working with Rank we will be establishing the foundation of a national door registration scheme - this must be one of the most positive steps we have ever taken.

"We will be training trainers for the company who will deliver a two-day course for door staff, covering conflict management, drugs awareness, fire safety and first aid as well as basic law and the Rank company policy."

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