NIGHTCLUBBERS in Essex are getting the James Bond treatment when they go out on the town thanks to an ID system which scans their fingerprint to establish their identity.

NIGHTCLUBBERS in Essex are getting the James Bond treatment when they go out on the town thanks to an ID system which scans their fingerprint to establish their identity.

The gadget is one of the first in operation in the UK and is being used by the Cave Club in Chelmsford as it aims to stamp out the problem of underage drinking.

The futuristic age checker will make fake identities a thing of the past as customers can only be placed on the system with a passport or photo-driving license.

First-time visitors to the club, which only opened in December, verify their age and then a digital image of their face is taken and an electronic fingerprint is obtained.

On any return visits the customer only needs a quick scan of their finger to establish their identity.

Owner of the venue, Joe Ferrari, 40, said the £2,000 system was worth every penny because it saved people the hassle of having to bring ID every time they went out.

He said: "If people are obviously well over 18 they can get in no-problem. This is for the borderline ones who we would always have to check.

"It is going down really, really well and there are already a considerable amount of people on the system. With the old set-up, people would have to show ID and keep showing it every time they came along which is very time consuming."

The technology only requires a broadband link to the headquarters of the company which runs the service and Mr Ferrari added there was no way he would be switching back to the old methods.

The venue in Viaduct Road is Mr Ferrari's first club, before which he used to manage bands, and it is also a glass free venue.

All alcohol is sold in plastic bottles in a bid to wipe out any glass related violence that can lead to horrific injuries during fights.

Licensing officer for Chelmsford, Martin Reed, said he hoped more venues would adopt the identification technology.

He said: "It has advantages for us because they can ask for ID once and don't need to ask for it again.

"We also know who has been in the club if necessary although the main purpose is to prevent underage people getting into the clubs."