The Home Affairs Ministry has launched an internal process that could lead to changes to the way bouncers are chosen and the training provided to them.

Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela made the announcement during One TV current affairs programme ‘Hu Siggu.’

He said ten underage people have been caught in nightclubs since the start of the year. The cases have been referred to the courts.

Mr Abela noted that the penalties related to the admission of underage people into clubs have been stepped up – the minimum fine has increased from €233 to €1,250. The minister said he believed that only a minority of entertainment venues were abusing.

He said, however, that he was not happy with the way bouncers were chosen and the training provided. Bouncers, he said, have to be able to communicate in different languages and should be able to deal with emergencies, such as crowd control.

An internal process could lead to changes in the laws and the ways in which bouncers are chosen and trained. “We have to choose the best quality people to do this kind of work and training has to be adequate,” Mr Abela said.

The government came under pressure to step up enforcement after 74 people were injured in the PlusOne incident in November. An inquiry established that there were several underage people in the club at the time. Many had been drinking and smoking inside the premises.