Scottish pubs in the dark over illegal security staff

Pubs in Scotland were ripped off over the festive period by security operators deploying "makeweight" illegal stewards, according to two veteran former city policemen.

Random checks in Edinburgh by a roving Security Industry Authority (SIA) squad and licensing standards officers (LSO's) last month found numerous venues using doorstaff with flawed or no accreditation.

In "failed" cases operators were presumed to be charging pubs full price while using door workers not qualified or legally allowed to do the job.

But at least some venues in the Scottish capital used stewards brought up from Newcastle to meet the shortage of accredited staff.

Scotland's doorstaff were brought into line with England and Wales on November 1 2007 - meaning nobody should now be operating as a steward without an SIA badge clearly displayed.

In a random batch of bars tested in the city's upmarket George Street drinking strip only one pub visited was in full compliance with the law.

The Publican accompanied LSOs Allan Reid and George Stewart, both highly experienced former senior Lothian and Borders police officers, on checks which disclosed some security operators were in disarray over the new rules.

Doorstaff and supervisors at several venues were warned they face prosecution if caught flouting the law from February.

Allan Reid said: "When you consider this was in some of Edinburgh's 'better' pubs you can only imagine what the story is in the rest."

Scottish Beer and Pub Association chief executive Patrick Browne said it was "very clear" costs of door stewarding for pubs and clubs had been driven up by the lack of fully SIA-registered and trained staff - and questioned the wisdom of launching the system at the busiest time of year.