9:02am Monday 17th March 2008
By Jeremy Grimaldi
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."
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