Fingerprints 'make clubs safer'

Pub and nightclub revellers in a Somerset town could soon be asked for a finger scan before they are allowed in.

The scan is seen as an extension of Yeovil's Pubwatch which has been credited with reducing violent alcohol-related crime in the town.

So far five venues have signed up for the voluntary scheme.

Membership details, including a photo and finger scan, will be shared between clubs and anyone flagged as a troublemaker will be refused entry.

It is thought to be the first real-time networked fingerprint scanning system in the country, linking all premises who opt in.

A police spokeswoman said: "There are many benefits, these include being able to easily verify the age of a person who is registered and identifying those who have previously been intent on causing trouble."