Girls take lap-dancing message to the streets
THE OWNER of Newquay's only lap-dancing club has hired a team of girls to promote the bar on the streets – in direct breach of his sex entertainment licence.
Ian Whittaker attracted the attention of Cornwall Council's licensing department after unwittingly posting photos on Facebook of his "promo girls" touting for business.
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STRIP CLUB: The picture on Wild Cherry's Facebook page of the promo girls on Bank Street, Newquay.
The terms of his Sexual Entertainment Venue (SEV) licence clearly state that nobody linked to the business is allowed to "solicit custom" for the strip club outside of the premises.
Mr Whittaker refused to comment when the Cornish Guardian called the club on Tuesday.
Buy one get one free on main courses and specials excludes fillet steaks. Equal prise meal or cheapest free
Terms:
Mon-sat 12-2pm
Sun-Thur 6-9pm.
Contact: 01209 700617
Valid until: Friday, May 24 2013
Bob Mears, the council's licensing compliance manager, said officers had written to the club owner reminding him of the SEV licence conditions.
He said: "Following information received, including some photographs taken from the premises' Facebook site, Cornwall Council licensing officers had cause to pass on suitable advice, in writing, to a licensed sex entertainment venue in Newquay with regard to the conditions placed on their SEV licence.
"Cornwall Council's licensing compliance team takes all breaches in relation to licensing matters very seriously, and where any such breaches are highlighted appropriate, proportionate and suitable action is taken to ensure that such breaches are addressed."
The news has been met with anger from community leaders and campaigners, who had spotted the girls out and about in Newquay during the evenings.
Dave Sleeman, chairman of the Newquay Town Residents' Association, brought the issue up at a meeting of the Newquay Safe partnership last week.
He said: "It's starting to look like Ibiza around there, which is a major cause for concern. People are being approached and pestered in the street continually."
Equality campaigner, Tracy Earnshaw believes the council should get tougher with licensees who disregard the terms of their licences.
She said: "I believe that a 'chat' with the licensee is inadequate. This is a licence for sexual entertainment, not a licence for a circus, although it might as well be.
"If this premises can so brazenly and openly flout such a clear and concise condition of their licence out on the street and on a public social networking site for all to see, what guarantees do we have that the conditions in respect of the running of sexual entertainment inside of the premises are being adhered to?"
Mrs Earnshaw, who last month spoke out at the doomed SEV licence application hearing for Kiss Gentlemen's Club, said the breach could be used as evidence against the renewal of Mr Whittaker's SEV licence later this year. She said: "All SEV's have to reapply for a new licence every 12 months so this is still evidence which objectors can and will use as to Wild Cherry's inability to run an SEV in accordance with conditions."
Comments
by Frank_Scully
Monday, June 25 2012, 12:57PM
“Restrictions on the advertising of this strip club surely inhibit the owners right to advertise his business and are (sorry to get all legal) a disproportionate restriction on his right to freedom of expression?”
by shagrats
Monday, June 25 2012, 12:39AM
“Get over yourself Newquay, what do you think Newquay is a place where nuns and priests have conventions.
It allways has and allways will be a sinners paradise. Long may it stay that way.”
by Big_Ger
Saturday, June 23 2012, 9:18AM
“Very attractive young ladies there.”
by lowcliff
Friday, June 22 2012, 5:04PM
“So Equality campaigner, Tracy Earnshaw took the opportunity to tell a joke? Is this test material for a turn on Mock the Week or something?
Anyway Equality includes the right to allow people to work in the places they want to work and for customers to be served by services they want use. In a fair way.
I'm not sure why an equality campaigner is getting involved over a technical infringement about licensing which happened to benefit employers and employees and potential customers. Who is the loser that is effected in equality terms in this infringement?
We need to here what Equality campaigner, Tracy Earnshaw's real views are as they seem based purely on personal opinion of taste rather than Equality or law.
If there are infringements of law that is for the Council and police to deal with.
This has become political, maybe there should be a referendum on sex.”
by listy85
Friday, June 22 2012, 4:15PM
“Many people might say that strip clubs are "morally questionable" though lowcliff.. Anyway, i don't think she was drawing serious comparisons between circus and SEV licences!”
by lowcliff
Friday, June 22 2012, 3:51PM
“Sexual entertainment is based purely on pleasure, any risks associated with it are purely incidental just like a game of conquers in a school playground. Unlike a circus, which although designed for pleasure is morally questionable as it's cruel to captive animals (the audience).”
by ingundia
Friday, June 22 2012, 2:28PM
“It means lowcliff, that a sexual entertainment venue is a serious adult and sometimes dangerous business and the licencing is in place for this very reason, but it seems the council and the venue owners do not take it very seriously. Bucnh of clowns is right...there's actually a nickname that circualtes amongst many young people here for Newquay, 'Clowntown'.”
by listy85
Friday, June 22 2012, 1:29PM
“That the place is run by a bunch of clowns i imagine.”
by lowcliff
Friday, June 22 2012, 11:03AM
“"This is a licence for sexual entertainment, not a licence for a circus, although it might as well be."
What is that even meant to mean?”