ALMOST 50 per cent of the people believe pub and club doorman should not be allowed to handcuff unruly and violent partygoers.

In an online poll, The Mail asked readers whether or not Furness doorman should allowed to use handcuffs on unruly customers after a South Lakeland security firm resorted to using them because of lengthening police response times.

More than 145 readers cast their vote, with 31 per cent saying yes, 48 per cent saying no and 21 per cent saying only in extreme circumstances.

One resident Mike Jones, who has previous experience working security at various venues across Barrow, said: “I always felt comfortable doing my job knowing I could defuse a situation by myself or with the help of the other door staff. Nine times out of 10 you could talk to them and calm them down and restraining them would be a last resort and you would only do it if you felt you had to.

“I don’t like the idea of handcuffs and think they should be left to the police.

"They can inflict more damage and door staff have never used them in X amount of years so why start now?”

However, other Barrow residents disagreed.

Darren Atkinson said: “It’s for the safety of the door supervisors and the public.

"If someone is acting violently, and has committed an arrestable offence, then under the PACE they can restrain that person using reasonable force.

"I think handcuffs is reasonable to protect the public.”

Under section 24A of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 ‘where an indictable offence has been committed, a person other than a constable may arrest without a warrant’.

Barrow's MP said the use of handcuffs shows how little confidence many have that the police will be there when needed.

John Woodcock said: “Local constabularies are grossly overstretched and as a result drastic action is now being taken to make up for the force’s lack of capacity."

But he also added that he was concerned by the development, which could ‘threaten the entire tradition of policing in this country.’