Lap dance clubs face city squeeze

The council claims lap dancing clubs exploit women

Lap dancing clubs in Glasgow have accused the city council of trying to put them out of business.

Glasgow City Council has called on MSPs for new laws to ensure the clubs are licensed as sex shops so it can gain greater control over the venues.

But managers like Douglas Moffat, of the city's Truffle Club, claim the council wants to abolish them and new laws would help it to achieve that aim.

There are four lap dancing clubs in the city, with another due to open.

Mr Moffat said: "They want us to be classed in the same category as sex shops.

"Funnily enough, Glasgow doesn't allow any sex shops in its jurisdiction and I think, ultimately, they would try and shut down all the table dancing clubs in the city."

We believe that the vast majority of citizens feel that these establishments do no good for our image Cllr Coleman

At present, all the city's clubs are licensed as places of entertainment, like nightclubs and bars with live music

But the council's deputy leader Jim Coleman said they were part of the sex industry.

Councillor Coleman claimed the current legislation was therefore flawed and women were exploited in the clubs which harmed Glasgow's reputation.

He hoped for cross-party support in his plans to deal with the "sordid entertainment" industry the club's represent.

The council's report says most men go to the clubs for sexual services.

Sex 'magnets'

The clubs are demeaning to women and policy changes are needed to prevent violence against women, sexual exploitation and prostitution, it goes on.

Councillor Coleman said the report, Profitable Exploits: Lap Dancing in the UK, shows clubs "to be nothing other than magnets for men seeking sexual services".

"We have requested the Scottish Executive to amend the Civic Government (Scotland) Act to take these operations into the same category as those requiring sex shop licences," he said.

"Legislation that allows the promotion of these venues as sex establishments but classes them under karaoke, live music and discotheques and doesn't even allow decent scope for objection regarding the nature of the activity, requires urgent change.

"The power has to be given to local authorities to make sure that the policies held by them - and the Scottish Executive - on violence against women, sexual exploitation and prostitution are taken seriously and adequate control and regulation takes place.

"We believe that the vast majority of citizens feel that these establishments do no good for our reputation or image and make women, in particular, feel demeaned."

Glasgow visit

The report's author, Julie Bindel, of London Metropolitan University's Child and Woman Abuse Unit, said dancers suffered humiliation and sexual harassment on a regular basis.

She claimed pay at the clubs was so poor that some women were pressurised into offering sexual services in order to survive financially.

Ms Bindel visited four of Glasgow's lap dancing clubs during her research and said she found evidence of sexual services being available in each of them.

Management at two of the clubs denied the allegation and said the premises were tightly controlled.