BBC's Alistair Jackson reports on kinder, gentler bouncers

The move in the run-up to Christmas, follows concerns about violence involving the UK's 100,000 men and women bouncers, or "door supervisors".

David Lazenby of training group the British Standards Institution said: "The training will concentrate on showing professional door supervisors how to use their hands and their facial expressions to calm people down, rather than grabbing them by the scruff of their necks and throwing them out."

Searching nightclubbers will be part of the training

The new training, launched at the Ministry of Sound nightclub in south London, will form the first set of new national working guidelines in a growing profession, which incorporates everything from guarding the doors to big clubs to smaller, private affairs like weddings.

They include guidance on appearance, behaviour, searches, handling conflicts and incident reporting procedures.

But bouncers believe their so-called hardman image is unfair and out of date.

Bouncer Steve Green says they are not looking for a fight

Steve Green from Scorpion Security said: "Ten or 15 years ago, I think most people would be looking at a bouncer as being somebody that enjoyed a good fight and was perhaps training in a gym.

"Perhaps they didn't realise they could string together a sentence."

Nodd McDonagh from The Ministry of Sound says the introduction of a national standard is a real chance for the industry to clean up its act.

He says: "Now they have been given training and how to recognise the potential for them, they should feel and they are valuable members of the team".

Bouncers: The facts