York door staff have won the praise of the city's police for the key role they are playing in the fight against illegal drugs.

Doormen at the Gallery nightclub, in Clifford Street, York, carry out an on-the-door body search for drugs

Police figures reveal arrests for the possession of drugs are up by a third this year and police say the vigilance of door staff accounts for almost every one of the additional arrests.

North Yorkshire Police drugs co-ordinator, DC Paul Johnson, said he felt extremely encouraged that doormen and women in the city had taken up the anti-drugs campaign with such verve.

"This is not just a token gesture," he said.

"We are not just talking about individuals carrying small amounts of drugs being picked up.

"A number of people have also been charged with supplying drugs after investigations led to their homes being searched and dealing equipment was discovered."

He added: "These dealers would probably not have come to the attention of the police without the diligent work of the doorstaff."

Northern Leisure, which owns both Toffs, in Toft Green, and The Gallery, in Clifford Street, now employs women on its doors, allowing both male and female clubbers to be searched on entry.

Gallery general manager Dave Harrison says he believes the atmosphere in the clubs has been improved by keeping dealers and users out.

"Parents now feel relaxed about 18 and 19-year-olds having a night out in the city centre, because they know our doorstaff are properly trained and behave responsibly," he said.

"Under the Misuse of Drugs Act local authorities can now close down any licensed premises where they believe the management are turning a blind eye to a serious drugs problem. That's what happened to Silks (The Gallery's former name) before Northern Leisure bought it 18 months ago.

"We have totally transformed the club in that time - no one can claim to have a 100 per cent success rate in keeping drugs out of clubs, but things have certainly been turned around here.

"Doorstaff are now much more aware of the drugs problem - they are switched-on, professional people, trained in all whole range of fields like fire safety and first-aid.

"The days of the traditional bouncer with his dickie bow are long gone."

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