Lap Dancing in London

Supporters of an East End gay pub are battling to stop it being included in a hit-list of sex entertainment establishments the council wants to close down.

Around 750 people have signed a petition to exempt the White Swan in Commercial Road from Tower Hamlets Council's plans to ban any venue from offering lap-dancing, pole-dancing or sex shows.

Campaigners, who first presented the petition in November, now accuse town hall chiefs of ignoring their concerns as they have had no response despite being told they should receive one within 28 days.

The White Swan's popular Wednesday nights sometimes feature male strippers but the campaign group is arguing there are no advertisements that could offend passersby and no prostitution or sexual activity of any kind .

Daryl Stafford, leading the campaign, said:

If we live in a truly multi-cultural society where people truly respect the lifestyles of others this simply would not happen. The venue has run its comedy male amateur strip night for 26 years without a single complaint.

And with a touch of 'I'm alright Jack', he added:

The legislation was originally set up to stop women being exploited and coerced into the sex trade... But there are no women involved in this. It's a men only night and stripping is voluntary."

Jack Gilbert, of LGBT group Rainbow Hamlets, said:

If they are making an argument that something is a social nuisance or has a history of causing anti-social behaviour and exploitation then the White Swan does not meet any of these criteria at all.

A council spokesprat said:

There was a record number of responses to the consultation and it was clear that residents felt strongly about the matter. No decision has been made in relation to which premises would be deemed to be sex establishments.

And with a particularly inept piece of politically correct confused thinking, Conservative group leader at Tower Hamlets, Peter Golds told BBC London:

I, like most reasonably minded people, have concerns about scantily clad women being exploited ....BUT... consenting adults looking for a laugh, a joke and comedy is not exploitation.

The City of London Corporation is proposing to ban all venues from staging lap dancing from September, claiming that it has a damaging impact on women.

Charlie's Bar near Tower Hill, the only remaining club in the City to offer lap dancing, is expected to be affected.

Under new legislation, such venues can be forced by councils to apply for a licence to continue operating. Charlie's Bar, which is thought to offer lap dancing for two hours once a week, would almost certainly be refused a licence if the Corporation's ban is confirmed by its policy resource committee.

Edward Lord, chairman of the licensing committee which recommended the ban, said there was a widely held view that this kind of normally male-only social activity serves to exclude women who work in financial services firms, or worse still makes them feel harassed and under-valued .

City workers said those who visited such venues would simply go to neighbouring areas, such as Westminster, where there is no ban.

Alex Smith from Southend, said: The new rules are a good thing but a lot of men won't think so : My niece is a dancer, she is treated well and they do get choices of what they do, but I don't agree with it.

A bid to host striptease and naked lap dancing in Wood Green was vetoed by Haringey Council supposedly because of the proposed club's proximity to schools.

The owner of Bar N22 in the High Road was told he could not offer adult entertainment, after just two objectors voiced fears it would harm the community.

Susan Garrad, a mum and playgroup volunteer of Noel Park, listed schools, churches and community groups near to the venue and said: I contend people will know what's going on and parents will then have to explain something they might not want to deal with until a child is older, or will have to lie to their children.

The licensing committee made the dubious ruling under relaxed licensing laws at Haringey Council's Civic Centre - opposite Bar N22, formerly known as Charlie Browns.

Varinder Kaur, service manager at a sheltered housing scheme, next door to Bar N22, said the plan would negatively impact on the home's 22 elderly residents. She ludicrously claimed: They're old, they're vulnerable, they will be isolated and living inside and there is a danger their grandchildren and children will not be visiting them. That is going to have an effect on their well being and health and safety, so we are concerned.

Nutters who fought a long-running battle against plans for a lapdancing club are celebrating after the owners withdrew a legal challenge.

Residents near The Crescent bar in West Kensington were dismayed when owner, Passion Nights, applied to turn part of the venue into a strip club, ludicrously fearing kerb crawlers and prostitutes would be drawn to the area.

An appeal was launched at West London Magistrates' Court after councillors threw out the plans in November - but was finally withdrawn this week in the face of wide spread opposition.

Nutter leader Joe Carlebach said: Our concern was that a lap dancing club would bring more crime, especially with sex workers and kerb crawlers. It's also right next door to a library where my children go, and I don't want to have to explain to my four-year-old daughter what a lap dancing club is and why people are hanging around..

Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush MP Andy Slaughter, who has been fighting alongside the residents, said: I am delighted by this outcome. I have put a lot of effort into the campaign - asking questions to the Home Secretary, petitioning locally, holding a public meeting and giving evidence at the licensing panel.

But the main credit must go to the thousands of individual protesters and the organising committee of residents. This is a textbook case of how to fight and beat commercial interests intent on destroying a local neighbourhood for private gain.

A venue that sparked nutter 'outrage' by offering pole dancing six years ago is now bidding to launch lap dancing in Wood Green.

The plan could see lap dancing at the former Charlie Browns nightclub in High Road, Wood Green. The venue now called Grand Palace and Bar N22.

Nutter organisations predictably 'fear' the proposal could bring trouble to the area.

Raj Doshi, chairman of I Can Care - a drop-in centre for elderly residents based in nearby Woodside House, said: It may bring in a lot of ugliness. To me a dance is a dance, but if it brings in other stuff - drugs, prostitution, the shadowy characters, for all these reasons I would prefer, if I had a tick box, not to have it.

Shilpa Desai, vice-chairwoman of I Can Care aid: I don't know how that's going to work because as it is they're scared to go out at certain times. I think this part of Haringey, there are lots of families with young kids, there is a council estate which has got a lot of young people and I don't think this is going to help them.

Woodside ward councillor George Meehan (Labour) said: We would prefer that it isn't successful. The last time people weren't very happy, so I can't see that they'll suddenly become happy. Wood Green shouldn't be any different to Crouch End or Tottenham, therefore we wouldn't expect anyone to be any more welcoming. I assume they will make their views known quite forcefully.

Residents can comment on the Grand Palace/Bar N22 application until Tuesday, April 14, by contacting Haringey Council licensing team on 020 8489 8232, or licensing@haringey.gov.uk.