We are "social workers mediating between customers and their relatives," the managing director of an Isle of Wight door security firm told me, when I spent a night on the town with his team.

Benji Churchill and his security experts are more commonly known as bouncers - but it's not a term they like. There is a stigma that comes with the term bouncers, staff told me, and the title of door operatives or supervisors is preferred. 

  • Isle of Wight County Press reporter Zach Saunders spent a night on the town with Executive Command. Here's what he found.... 

"We just want to keep you safe," they told me, adding door supervisors are sometimes misunderstood by pub, gig and club-goers. By contrast, their own experiences on the job are increasingly dangerous.

An often-thankless task, they said it their role is to identify crime, monitor behaviour and try to deal with both excessive drunkenness, as well as drug taking and dealing.

The eyes and ears of the Island's nightlife, ultimately they want patrons to be safe and have a good time, they said.

However, Island-based training and security firm, Executive Command, told me it has seen a large increase in the presence of weapons - particularly in the last 18 months, when there have been increasing numbers of knuckledusters.

That's despite a July 2021 change to the Offensive Weapons Act 2019, making it illegal to own, even in private, things like knuckledusters, throwing stars and zombie knives.

A 100 per cent increase in weapon-related incidents has been experienced by the Executive Command team over the last five years.

Shockingly, Isle of Wight door security staff are more likely to encounter weapons or knives, compared to mainland colleagues working in areas including Portsmouth. 

These ‘bouncers of old’ often still receive abuse and sometimes come to physical harm while on the job.

When I spent a shift with them, earlier this year, I saw door supervisors trying to diffuse situations through communication, attempting to pull patrons aside, calm them down and discuss the situation, rather than use physical force.

On a busy Saturday night in Newport, they cover venues including The Castle Inn, Rocket Ronnies, The Hogshead, Slug and Lettuce, Wyld and Fever.

The Castle's Simon Cant, Wyld’s Josh Peverley and Fever’s Luke Bontoft, praised the work of security staff.

Simon told me the team are always on the lookout to help, recalling a recent occasion where they ran to a neighbouring venue - not technically under their watchful eye - to assist someone in distress.

Meanwhile, Josh said the security professionals 'go above and beyond' to ensure his patrons are safe and enjoying their night.

As a journalist, my day is mainly spent at a desk, so spending the night with Executive Command's door supervisors showed me how different their work is - it isn't easy and rarely gains any positive feedback.

Benji, who leads teams and trains new door staff, explained it's a complex role.

Physical security, ensuring customers’ safety by preventing and intervening in physical altercations, and acting as those who are upholding the law are all requirements of the job, he said.

“My team are dealing with minor injuries to life-threatening conditions, we're therapists dealing with substance abuse and mental health concerns, we're safeguarding individuals [from] sexual predators,” he said.

They have to do more in the way of safeguarding than they used to - a 'massive' amount more.

Safeguarding issues have increased around 400 per cent, compared to around 15 years ago.

Door staff tread a tricky line between front line care for those at pubs and clubs wanting  a good night out and the owners of the businesses who are trying to protect their staff, venue and other customers.

Some security staff I talked to have worked the doors for decades, so I asked whether the job has become more challenging.

The Covid-19 lockdowns made things worse, they said.

Islanders aged in their late teens couldn't go out to celebrate adulthood, and have been making up for lost time.

Many young adults don't seem to not know how to act on a night out, they told me, but it's not a challenge that's exclusive to younger people - older Islanders are more of a problem than you might realise, the team said.

One experienced staff member, who previously worked the doors in Portsmouth, told me the Island is worse for ‘handbags’ - the term door staff use for minor pushing and shoving incidents.

Door supervisors are subject to ‘more verbal abuse’ than their peers across the Solent, they said.

Staff usually work the doors at the same venues, recognising frequent troublemakers and building familiarity with patrons.

It helps make them more approachable on a night out, should we feel unsafe or need to report incidents.

Often working in pairs, Executive Command said its door staff are there to protect us,  but must also protect themselves and their colleagues.

They have started wearing body cameras at known Isle of Wight ‘trouble spots’, as a deterrent to those who may consider causing harm.

Recently, Executive Command employees have been assisting Hampshire and IW Constabulary's Operation Sceptre - May's weapons amnesty - by increasing searches at venues and using handheld metal detectors, known as ‘wands’. 

Increased amounts of ketamine and prescription drugs are being handed around and Executive Command told me dealing with substances is a ‘nightly occurrence’ across the Island’s night-time economy.

Benji said: “We’re not everybody’s favourite people due to the nature of the business - and never will be.

“I really think if people saw what we dealt with in the night-time economy and the behaviours we deal with and the number of people we assist, they would see things from a very different perspective.

“It is very easy to gain a Security Industry Authority (SIA) licence and simply stand there with little pride, but I can honestly say Executive Command operatives take pride in their tasks and go the extra mile.”