Lapdance clubs: Arun backs more controls

They want to see the current licensing law reformed to make the clubs sex encounter establishments.

This would mean councils, such as Arun, would have to pay attention to issues such as the character of the area where a club was proposed and the fit and proper status of any applicant.

The present law means that clubs, such as Shine club above Bognor Regis High Street, where lapdancing is permitted up to 25 days a year, can open with a premises licence.

This is the same regulation used for cafes selling alcohol and has led to a rapid growth in the number of such clubs around the country. The campaign, called Stripping the Illusion, aims to generate enough support among councils and MPs to get the law changed.

Arun licensing and enforcement committee chairman Cllr Dudley Wensley said: "There is a gap in the licensing law.

"This campaign is not about stopping lapdancing clubs but giving local authorities the power to ensure clubs are properly regulated and to ensure the council can respect the concerns of local residents."

A sex encounter establishment is classed legally as a venue which provides performances for the purpose of visual sexual stimulation.

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