Minibars may disappear from hotel rooms as a result of child safety requirements contained in new Scottish licensing laws.

Alternatively, they may have to be fitted with padlocks to make them childproof under the legislation.

One of the central aims of the recently-introduced liquor laws is to guard against children having access to alcohol, and in complying with the legislation licensing boards will have to consider the risks presented by the minibar.

Local authorities have begun processing licences under the new regime and already some boards have indicated they see the small refrigerator, with its selection of more often than not over-priced alcoholic drinks, as a threat to children's safety.

Lawyers claim at least two Scottish licensing boards believe that, under the new regime, prohibiting minibars may amount to the safest "reasonable steps" they are required to take to prevent consumption by under-18s in hotel rooms.

Perth and Kinross said it will demand information from applicants with minibars about what precautions they will take to prevent access to alcohol by youngsters.

Falkirk said that while it is not in the process of formulating a policy banning minibars, it has discussed the matter with legal representatives of hoteliers and suggested they take the matter on board.

While it would take a test case to determine a definitive legal status of minibars under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, a case of the jitters through the trade may provoke many hotel owners to attach padlocks to all of their minibars.

The prospect was raised during a conference on how the new act, which many premises have been operating under since March, is affecting the industry.

John Loudon, a consultant with Lindsays solicitors in Edinburgh, said: "It's contrary to what the new legislation was intended to do. I think Falkirk is looking to ban minibars in bedrooms as contrary to the licensing objectives: bad for business, bad for tourism and bad for our country's image generally."

Jack Cummins, of licensing law specialists Hill Brown, said: "There is absolutely no evidence of children ever coming to harm from minibars. That's an astonishing degree of micro-management. The next thing will be checks for alcohol in your house when you're going out for the evening."

A spokesman for Falkirk Council said: "This is not being worked up as a policy. It was raised with us by an agent. We believed it was an interesting point and have suggested to other agents that they might want to raise the matter with their clients."