Nightclub president Delvin Bean has slammed `Police inaction' over violence outside night clubs which he says is getting worse.

Mr. Bean, who runs Champions night club in Reid Street, said Police didn't always respond to calls because they were undermanned and reluctant to tackle violence.

More than a dozen representatives from night spots met with Superintendent Sinclair White and Chief Inspector Anthony Mouchette last week to hammer out policy, with the Police demanding clubs get more involved.

Mr. Bean said some nights there were only six to eight officers controlling Hamilton and that the mobile Police Support Unit didn't always work at weekends.

Mr. Bean said: "All over the world you have double the police service at weekends. This place is a tourist place, we are trying to make it nice, we don't want uproar.

"Trouble should be shut down immediately, we need to put our foot down. Police need to be more aggressive in clubs. The only time the Police Support Unit do something is when they have the inspector present, yet they are getting thousands of dollars a month and they are all kitted out with these $750 protective vests."

He said he had seen a rise in trouble but Police didn't always respond when security had called complaining and sometimes Police refused to come even when a weapon was reported.

"They are not doing their job," said Mr. Bean. "Many incidents happen outside night clubs, many times the Police claim they don't have enough manpower to deal with these situations.

"And when they have the manpower they still sit there watching it all happen. What's the point in calling them? We might as well deal with it ourselves. Until we all take a hard stand, what happens in this little country will only get worse. I have been saying this for five years." He said a `Clean Sweep'-style crack down was needed where Police had a zero tolerance policy. Mr. Bean said: "They say they are busy, they will be busy if they only have six to eight on."

Mr. Bean, who helps run security at Champions and other Hamilton night spots said there were violent incidents every week.

"One guy had a weapon but Police sent him on his way while another pulled a knife on me but he only got a $100 fine.

"Do I have to get cut before they do something? There's no deterrent whatsoever in the judicial system. MPs need to look at this. It's a joke."

Mr. Bean said he was tightening up security at Champions and would be more strictly enforcing the members rule by not allowing people to get temporary membership on the night.

He said a reveller who was refused entry recently went over to his bike and returned brandishing a Molatov cocktail, which he threatened to burn the club with before being restrained by security.

He said: "I called police but nothing came of it."

In December Police Commissioner Jonathan Smith called for clubs to get a firmer grip on who they serve.

He said a significant number of assaults, sex attacks and murders occurred in or around licensed premises and he warned that Police would be more vocal at licence hearings and call for tougher laws in clubs didn't crack down.

Clubs have been told to bar drunks and crack down on under-age drinking.

Last month, the Central Liquor Licensing Board and Acting Senior Magistrate Carlisle Greaves agreed on a raft of hard-line conditions to send a message that unless night clubs took measures to curb brawling inside and outside their premises, licenses would not be renewed.

Inspector Mouchette said fighting in and outside of clubs, a growing use of weapons, drug abuse and high numbers of drink drivers, brought about the new licensing stipulations.

But Mr. Bean said police had admitted to being disheartened by slack sentences in court and that they were wondering whether it was worth arresting offenders.

"Don't blame us for what happens out on the streets," said Mr. Bean. "The streets are not ours they belong to the Police.

"Someone is trying to pick on us club owners but we are doing our job."

He said most of the trouble he came across at Champions was from people who had been barred from the club but refused to go quietly.

He said: "How can you blame alcohol if they have had nothing to drink yet?"

However, he said the recent meeting with Police over night clubs had been frank and productive and could yield results.

Escape Night Club manager/owner Paul DeCouto said club-goers had lost respect for the Police but respected Escape staff who used the same scanning devices used at the airport to search club goers.

He praised the Police turn-out on Friday night at his venue but said officers needed to work with clubs and not blame them for problems.

He said: "As long as you have clubs getting licensed you are going to get problems. If you shut clubs the problems would move to bars."