Nightclub bosses are being urged to invest in state-of-the- art ID scanners to help stop barred thugs and criminals from being let into their venues.

Brighton’s top licensing policeman is on a “mission” to see more of the high-tech scanners in place on the doors of clubs in the city in a bid to keep troublemakers out.

The scanners have been credited with helping reduce thefts, drug dealing, assaults, underage drinking and the use of false IDs as well as giving detectives the break-through in a number of serious crimes.

Sergeant Simon Morgan of Brighton licensing team moved from West Sussex division in the summer and said he was surprised when he moved to the city that the scanners weren’t more widespread.

The scanners, which can cost as little as £50 a week to hire, can verify IDs, have biometric capabilities including fingerprint technology and can link to databases of barred punters.

In some areas, business groups have helped meet the cost of the scanners.

The machines also give venues valuable commercial data including a breakdown of customers pro-files, peak times and addresses for mailshots.

There are currently twelve in operation across the county, mainly in West Sussex, but just three in Brighton at Shooshh, Lola Lo and Madame Geisha.

Sgt Morgan said the machines have already been used to detect a suspected rapist who met a woman in a Worthing club and resulted in dramatic reduction in violent crime in bars in Chichester and Bognor.

He added: “I am on a mission to get these machines in a lot more pubs and venues in Brighton.

“They would be ideal in Brighton because there are a lot of late-night venues and bars.

“These machines talk to each other so if you have someone banned from clubs in Crawley and Croydon, these machines will flag it up to door staff in Brighton.”

Albie Saliba is director of Brighton’s only VIP superclub Shooshh in Kings Road in Brighton which opened in March this year.

Mr Saliba said his club took on a top-of-the-range ID scanner two months ago costing almost £5000 in a one-off payment on top of £300 a month and said he began seeing the benefits within a fortnight.

He said: “I was surprised by the lack of security at Brighton clubs, I also have a club in Croydon and these scanners are the standard and that’s how it should be here.”