POP superstars visiting Glasgow from overseas will now have to hire bodyguards from Scotland to comply with new security legislation.

POP superstars visiting Glasgow from overseas will now have to hire bodyguards from Scotland to comply with new security legislation.

International touring acts such as Kylie Minogue, 50 Cent, Pink, Justin Timberlake or Beyonce usually bring their own security teams to the city to protect them from over-eager fans.

But tough new laws introduced for Scotland's door and security staff on November 1 also apply to bodyguards of high-profile rock stars - and they must be licensed to operate by the Security Industry Authority.

It makes it an offence for stars from overseas to employ minders without the correct licence.

Lynne Hunter is director of Glasgow-based Success Training Scotland - the only firm in Scotland offering an approved course in "close protection" tailored for bodyguards.

She said: "It is a criminal offence for overseas bands to have their own unlicensed protection. They would normally bring their own staff over when they visit here.

"But if there is a band playing the SECC and they are using their own staff, they could be prosecuted."

Under the legislation, door supervisors, security guards, CCTV operators, cash-in-transit couriers and bodyguards all require an SIA licence.

The moves are aimed at making the security industry more professional and weeding out rogue firms.

Any individual operating without a licence faces a £5000 fine or six months in prison and their employer could face an unlimited fine and a jail sentence of up to five years.

Ms Hunter's St Vincent Street firm is currently compiling a database of licensed staff.

She added: "The type of security provided depends on the person security staff are trying to protect. It depends on whether it's a footballer or a diplomat and also on the level of protection they require."

A spokeswoman for the SIA said: "Nearly 60% of the estimated licensable population - around 17,000 people - now hold SIA licences.

"We are processing applications but it is hard to say how many still need to apply."

The licence costs £245 and is valid for three years. It is available to those who meet training standards, undergo criminal record checks, have the right to work in the UK and have not been sectioned under the Mental Health Act in the last five years.

England and Wales introduced their own rules in 2001. The Scottish Executive approved proposals to regulate the private security industry in March 2003. But the legislation was only introduced this month.