A new computer system for keeping under-18s out of clubs has been installed at an Isleof Man nightclub which was recently fined for serving alcohol to a 17-year-old.
The scheme, at the Venue in Douglas, means anyone who wants to enter the club must have a membership card. To get one, customers must show a valid ID driving licence, passport or Isle of Man proof-of-age card to prove they are over 18. The cards can be obtained at the door.
When the card is swiped on entry, a photo of the customer appears on a computer screen.
The customer's age also appears, as well as information on any banning orders issued from the club or the court. This allows club staff to identify and exclude known troublemakers.
"It can be interlinked between clubs, so that if someone causestrouble at one nightclub their details can be passed on to other venues," said Venue co-owner Peter Locke.
The system has been piloted at the club for the past two weeks and so far more than 400 membership cards have been issued. Locke hopes to make possession of a card a strict condition of entry by around mid-June.
Last week, Locke was fined £2,250 at the High Bailiff, the magistrates court, after a 17-year-old admitted being inside the club when he was involved in an alleged assault in November.
Locke said he hopes to market the system, which was created by a local technician, and he expects it to cost around £500.