A proposal to introduce a national door-person registration scheme and withdraw the locally run course has been met with opposition from Tenby Town Council.

Currently, Pembrokeshire County County, in conjunction with Dyfed-Powys Police, run a two-day course for prospective door-persons and, under current rules, all public entertainment licence holders must only use doormen registered under this scheme

However, at their meeting on Tuesday night, town councillors learned that the county council were now proposing to allow prospective door-persons to obtain the British Institute of Inn-Keeping's (BII's) Door Supervisors National Certificate.

If, following consultation, this course of action was adopted, they would then withdraw their own course, a proposal which dismayed Mayor of Tenby, Clr. Mrs. Christine Brown.

"I do not feel that there should be a national qualification," she opined. "A college qualification of this sort would be so impersonal. With a locally based course, we know who is suitable to be a door-person and who is not.

"The current system is adequate. What the county council needs to be looking at are those places without PELs; they need better monitoring than those who do have them!"

Clr. Mickey Folland explained that the BII certificate worked 'like a driving licence'.

"It would mean that someone who has the certificate would be able to work anywhere in the country," he explained.

"That might work in a large town or city, but not here," commented Deputy Mayor, Clr. Miss Lis James.

"People could work here who don't know the area, the people or how the area works. If there is a national certificate, there should also be a local certificate as well."

Clr. Stuart Fecci commented that it was usually the case that "no law is made in retrospect."

"If the county council adopt this idea, then the area's already qualified door-persons will have to re-train, which is like teaching your granny to suck eggs!" he said.