A young councillor said more needs to be done about “threatening” security guards who “think they have more power than they do” in High Wycombe town centre at night.

A raft of security and door staff are stationed at the town’s bars, pubs and clubs in a bid to keep people safe and monitor and discourage anti-social behaviour, but Cllr Nathan Thomas – who was just 18 when he was elected in May 2021 - said some security staff can be “quite threatening” to those trying to enjoy a night out.

There has been a big focus in recent years on trying to crack down on bad behaviour on the streets of High Wycombe to make it a more welcoming place to be, including the introduction of street wardens and the creation of a “sanctuary” at All Saints Church – a safe space for vulnerable people on a night out.

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Speaking at the High Wycombe town committee meeting, Cllr Thomas said: “As someone who uses the night-time economy – Trilogy, the Wetherspoons – it is not always the students and the people in the clubs that are the issue.

“We also have sometimes the security just trying to make people move away from the clubs and I’m wondering if we can look at how security guards deal with drunken people and move them away because, what I hear, is that they can be quite threatening and think they have more power than they do.

“Our town centres should be safe and secure but we should also be keeping not only our businesses and our security guards safe, but also our residents as well.

“We should have zero tolerance on antisocial behaviour but also that we are supporting those who are outside and in the club safe.”

Melanie Williams, the chief executive of HWBIDCo, an organisation that represents businesses in the town, hosts events and has worked hard to make the town a safer place for all, said if there were issues they needed to be reported to them so they can deal with them and perhaps offer better training.

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She said: “It’s very important that if there are specific incidents with door staff, that intelligence gets back to us so we can deal with specific issues.

“Working with the police and having door staff and managers is one of the key outcomes of working together.

“We provide first aid and conflict management training and other courses that might help door staff respond to certain situations.

“We can certainly work together to find out if there are training or education needs or if there is something more sinister, we should definitely respond to that.”