EAST Lancashire nightclub owners and pub landlords could face increased costs after a landmark court case abolished licence fees for door staff.

Blackburn with Darwen Council today confirmed it was looking into the issue of registration fees for bouncers after a case in Liverpool ruled local authorities could no longer charge a fee for joining the scheme.

Executive member for citizens and consumer rights Coun Maureen Bateson said: "We are looking at the issue in light of the court case and have removed registration fees for individual doormen."

Licensees in Burnley have already been told they face an increase in public entertainment licence fees as Burnley Council attempts to recoup administration costs.

The authority is to increase the public entertainment licence for premises which use doormen by six per cent as a result.

Burnley Council's senior administration officer Eric Dickinson said the amount charged would depend on the number of people who occupy premises.

Under the scheme, a business with up to 200 customers would be charged for one doorman -- £42 per annum.

A council report claims that local authorities are entitled to recover the cost of administration involved in dealing with the licensing of door staff from applicants for public entertainments licences where doormen are employed.

Jimmy Nelson is the owner of Bootleggers Bar in Boot Way, Burnley. At the weekends he has two doormen watching up to 150 revellers.

The new charges will mean Jimmy will pay an extra £42 a year to the council.

He said: "This is something the council have sneaked on us. There are over 20 licensed premises on the Burnley circuit with three or four due to open in the near future.

"Competition is fierce and any increase in overheads is going to be very hard to bear.

"People come out on Saturday night, see a place buzzing a think that business is booming, but there are an awful lot of overheads in this game and this is going to make things more difficult for us.

"It's not a tremendous amount, but it is still an increase."

Councillor Barry Gutteridge, a member of the licensing committee, said: "We can't expect the council taxpayers of Burnley to subsidise nightclubs.

"The public should not have to pay for the privilege of clubs having doormen."

Other authorities have already committed themselves to recovering the money they will lose by increasing the fees for their public entertainments licence. Liverpool City Council and Blackpool Unitary Authority will increase fees from April 1.