POLICE in York have been awarded a top accolade by the beer industry for training door supervisors in the city.

North Yorkshire Police were highly commended at the British Institute of Innkeeping's awards for the quality of their training course for doormen.

PC Mike Welsh, York licensing officer, picked up the accolade alongside the course leader and former police inspector Geoff Cooling at the National Innkeeping Training Awards in the House of Commons on Friday.

The event was hosted by Selby MP John Grogan, who is chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Beer Group.

The force trains about 20 door supervisors a month in topics including conflict management, handling situations involving drug and fire safety.

PC Welsh said his team's work in training door supervisors had increased cooperation between licensees and police and made the city a safer place for revellers.

He said: "It has immensely improved the situation. We have been doing it now for a good 12 years and it has evolved through the years. With it being police-based we also get useful feedback from the supervisors.

"Where there used to be the friction between the old-style doormen and the police, they can now see that we are all on the same side, working together for the safety of people in the city."

The awards recognise the best training within the £23 billion pub industry.

Professor Conrad Lashley, chairman of the judging panel, said: "The judges were highly impressed with North Yorkshire Police's programme and regard it as an exemplar of best practice in the licensed retail sector.

"The judges felt that at the root of the programme there was a well-informed recognition of the benefits to be gained from improving relations between door supervisors and the police, and with other stakeholders such as the York Alcohol Advice Service."

York-based businessman Daniel Pettigrew also had reason to celebrate at the awards as he was named professional trainer of the year.

He set up his company in 1997 to offer training and development courses for people working in the licensed retail sector.

Updated: 10:00 Tuesday, December 13, 2005