Small Town Thinking…New Quay policeman claims that rapes and sex assaults in Newquay can be blamed on lap dancing clubs

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See article from telegraph.co.uk

In a bollox sounding claim, Newquay police chief claims that lap dancing clubs encourage rape and sexual assaults. Inspector Ian Drummond-Smith made the claim in his official letter of objection to an application to open a new strip club in the town’s Bank Street. He claimed that lap dancing clubs have contributed to fourteen rapes and 34 sexual assaults in the last two years. Police figures quoted by Insp Drummond-Smith show there were 69 reported sex crimes within a mile radius of the club between January 2010 and February this year, which also included 15 cases of indecent exposure and six other sexual offences. Five of the rapes and 16 sexual assaults were committed within half a mile. If the police case is based purely on proximity to clubs then it is clearly bollox. More or less the entire town is located within a mile of Bank Street and the half mile radius covers the entire town centre. Perhaps the large amount of pubs and clubs for young people may have something to do with it too. He seems to have made a leap of faith in jumping from proximity figures to anything causal. He weakly pontificated: It is of concern that sexual entertainment would take place in such proximity to dwellings and vulnerable persons, and those leaving the premises, having been subject to highly sexualised performances, may be at greater risk of committing sexual offences. The combination of factors above, in particular the vulnerable groups identified, have contributed to the sex crimes. Cornwall Council’s licensing committee is due to decide today on an application for a Sexual Entertainment Venue permit for Kiss Gentlemen’s Club, formerly known as Halos. There is already one lap dancing club, Wild Cherry, operating in New Quay. Lyndon Harrison, chairman of the Newquay Association of Licenced Premises, backed the application, saying It’s down to what Newquay needs to compete in today’s tourism market. Harrison, who is also chairman of the Newquay Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, dismissed claims that strip clubs were linked to an increase in crime as absolute rubbish.

Stripping Out the Bollox…So much for the Lilith report that claimed Camden strip clubs attract crime

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See article from whatdotheyknow.com See The impact of adult entertainment on rape statistics in Camden:a re-analysis from scribd.com by Dr Brooke L Magnanti Via article from strip-magazine.com

In 2003, a report was released by Lilith Research and Development, a subsidiary project of Eaves Women’s Aid, a London women’s housing agency [and active campaign against adult entertainment]. The report examined the phenomenon of lap-dancing clubs in the north London borough of Camden and its effects on crime rates from the late 1990s onward. One conclusion that received considerable attention was the statement that following the introduction of lap-dancing clubs, rape in Camden rose by 50%. In 2009, corrections to the statistics were reported in the Guardian stating that the change between 1999 and 2002 was a somewhat lower increase of 33%. It still however implies evidence of a cause-and-effect relationship between lap dancing clubs and rape. The uncorrected claims that rapes rose by50% after lap dancing clubs opened and that Camden’s incidence of rape is three time the national average are still reported in national and international media. But Dr Magnanti’s paper, The impact of adult entertainment on rape statistics in Camden:a re-analysis, found: This paper presents a broader analysis of the impact of lap-dancing clubs by calculating accurate rates of incidence, analysing statistics from a longer time period, and comparing the results with crime rates in neighbouring boroughs of London. The rate of rape in Camden is lower than that in comparable boroughs, including ones with no such clubs. The overall trend for London boroughs, while higher than the national average, shows a decrease where national statistics are on the increase. Now further evidence has been made available that suggests that Lilith conclusions re increased crime near strip clubs are bollox. A Freedom Of Information request presumably to Camden Council was made by a group called Community Safety who wanted it as part of a response to the Licensing Departments consultation on sex establishments in Camden. This resulted in a summary of the results of an unpublished report. The original report examined crime near nine lap dancing clubs in Camden Borough. The summary reveals: Three years worth of data (1 June 2008 – 31 May 2011) was collated of ‘all reported crime within 40 metres, and 10 metres of each club. The clubs are listed below: City Burlesque Parkers Red Rooms Secrets, Eversholt Street Secrets, Finchley Road Secrets, Gray’s Inn Road Secrets, Parker Street Spearmint Rhino The Griffin The report attempts to determine whether crime around these venues is in any way excessive, or exceptionally different from what would be expected of any other night-time economy venue in Camden. 10 metre buffer zone The results showed an overall low level of offences with no obvious seasonality. Of all crime types other theft was considerably higher than other type of crime. Most offences occurred in the early hours of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. There is not an exceptional amount of crime around these venues at the 10 metre buffer level. The type of crime that is apparent mirrors what would be expected in any other night-time economy venue. 40 metre buffer zone The results showed an overall low level of offences with no obvious seasonality. Of all crime types other theft was considerably higher than other type of crime. Most offences occurred on Friday evening and early Saturday morning. As with the 10 metre buffer zone, there is no evidence when examining the 40 metre buffer zone of excessive levels of crime. Once again, the majority of crimes are other theft which is consistent with night-time economy venues. Conclusion There is no statistical evidence for a specific crime problem around lap-dancing clubs in Camden

A New Chief Sex Object…Anna van Heeswijk is the new CEO of Object

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See article from guardian.co.uk

Object is a nutter campaign group that rant about more or less any form of sex entertainment that is enjoyed by men. The group is amongst the most prominent of those campaigning for a miserable life. OBJECT’s founder and CEO Sasha Rakoff is now retiring citing the need for rest and time with her family. Anna van Heeswijk has been appointed as the new CEO of Object. She came to the attention of the press after she gave evidence to the Leveson inquiry about the supposedly sexist portrayal of women in the press. Armed with a catalogue of images published by the Sun, the Sport and the Star, she claimed to be exposing how frequently women are portrayed as sex objects through features like Page Three. She has said re Page 3: Our argument and solutions are simple. This type of sexually objectifying material would be restricted on television because of the recognised harms associated with these stereotyped portrayals of women and it would be considered sexual harassment if it was in the workplace. Why is it, then, that they should be printed in mainstream newspapers which are not age-restricted and are sold and displayed at child’s eye level? On lap dancing; Lap-dancing clubs are often sites of exploitation. They create no-go zones for women who fear walking past them at night and they promote sexist stereotypes of women as sex objects, And as for prostitution, Van Heeswijk describes this as the; Ultimate form of objectification.

Strippers and Dancers Speak Out…Public meeting to hear the views of workers in the dancing and adult entertainment industry

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See article from urban75.net

Public Meeting: Strippers and Dancers Speak Out St Margaret’s House 21 Old Ford Road, London E2 9PL Wed 18th Apr 2012 6:30pm Speakers: Vera Rodriguez (GMB) Suzanna Slack (GMB) Kirsten Neil (Equity) John McDonnell MP Tower Hamlets council will shortly be making a decision on closing the eleven dancing and adult entertainment venues in the borough. The voices which have been absent from the public debate before and during the consultation are those of the men and women who work in this industry. Some decide to work in it and others earn their living in it because of economic necessity. In that respect it is the same as most other jobs. Just like workers in other careers the women and men in the dancing & adult entertainment industry have concerns about job security, working conditions and pay. On top of this they have to confront a public discourse which is overwhelmingly hostile to them. This public meeting, organised by dancers & adult entertainment workers who are trade unionists in the GMB and Equity, is an opportunity to listen to and discuss with the people who make their living dancing and performing in these venues. They are organising. Come and hear what they have to say.

Politicking for the London Mayoral Elections…It seems that Ken Livingstone has said he would try to close as many of London’s strip pubs as he can

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See article from strip-magazine.com

I understand London Mayoral candidate, Ken Livingstone, has apparently said that if he is made Mayor again he would try to use the new law close down as many of London’s strip clubs as he can.

Nobs and Nutters…Flying Scotsman strip pub under threat in King’s Cross

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See article from islingtontribune.com Photo by Ian Alexander Martin

Four strip pubs and clubs in Kings Cross and Old Street are under threat from Islington Council.Councillor Paul Convery had written a long letter opposing the application by The Flying Scotsman, in Caledonian Road, to renew its sex entertainment licence, arguing it would be detrimental to the regeneration of the area and reinforce the perception that King’s Cross was an area to find drugs and sex. He added that he had been contacted by Muslim and Christian constituents, who found the sex club abhorrent to their faith. But he told the Tribune he was going to withdraw the objection after being assured by the owners that they intended to have sex entertainment for only another year or two before turning the bar into a gastro-type pub. There’s not a lot of future in these types of geezer pubs with nude dancing and fizzy beer, he spouted. Islington’s Town Hall’s policy is to ban sex clubs altogether. Several objections to the Platinum Bar, in Paul Street, Bunhill, have been lodged by residents, citing the usual bollox about nearby schools. The Horns, in Old Street, has attracted opposition from nearby businesses. A financial company has claimed its women employees felt intimidated when walking past the club late at night. For Your Eyes Only, in City Road, is also seeking to have its licence renewed, although no objections have been lodged.

Save Portsmouth’s Strip Clubs…Say no to the miserable council’s nil policy

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Thanks to Mike See petition from saveourstripclubs.com See Council Consultation Details from portsmouth.gov.uk See Consultation Document [pdf] from portsmouth.gov.uk

Portsmouth city council is planning on introducing a nil cap on lap-dancing venues in the city. This means not only will new clubs be unable to open, but the existing clubs will be at considerable risk to close their doors. It is being argued that there is no location suitable for this type of establishment in the Portsmouth area. Portsmouth currently has three lap dancing venues: Elegance, Heaven Sent and Wiggle which employ over 100 jobs. …Sign the petition now to save jobs! Why We Should Save Our Strip Clubs There is, of course, questionable morals regarding lap dancing clubs even in today’s modern society however it is becoming more socially accepted amongst society that there is a supply and demand for such entertainment venues. However the greatest concern about the closure of our lap dancing clubs within Portsmouth is the loss of about 100 jobs to those people who work within the venues, we aren’t just talking about the dancers but we are also talking about the bar staff, doorman, cleaners, managers and even the toilet attendants! We are living in an age where unemployment is so high that even those with degrees, which cost them considerable debt, are unable to find employment. It is greatly irresponsible of the Portsmouth City Council to put at risk a large number of hard working and talented individuals at such a time of uncertainty for so many. Within the city of Portsmouth there no evidence of any threat to women as a result of these lap dancing clubs however nationally, and as studies have shown, there is a lack of guidelines of performer safety in some clubs (not specifically any within Portsmouth). It is these issues the council should be focusing on rather than the moral or appropriateness of such venues. The lap dancing clubs in Portsmouth are some of the safest night time venues you can attend and there has been little to no trouble involving the police since they have been open for the last 12 years.

Miserably PC…Hetero fun banning Tower Hamlets Council in a PC dilemma as to whether also banning gay fun will be considered homophobic

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See article from atvtoday.co.uk See article from eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk

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.

Suffocating Britain…Councils ban lap dancing to help make Britain a more miserable place and ensure that it is even harder for people to make a living

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See article from dailymail.co.uk

Strip clubs across Britain are facing closure as an increasing number of councils use new laws to ban them. Local authorities are at varying stages of implementing licensing changes to close clubs and businesses. There are about 300 clubs in Britain and many opened after a relaxation of the licensing law in 2003. A subsequent 2009 law rebranded lap dancing, pole dancing, and strip clubs as sex entertainment venues gave councils new morality controls. Ten councils, given the power to impose repressive restrictions, have already opted for nil policies which will refuse applications for any new venues. Among them is Tower Hamlets Council in East London. It is supposedly awaiting the result of a public consultation whilst keenly anticipating the closure of 11 clubs in the borough. In Leicester three clubs were denied licences last week while in the City of London repressive licensing rules saw its only club decline to apply. Enfield Council in North London, one of a number of local authorities to ban the clubs despite never having had any. It passed a motion last month, under the slogan no sex please, we’re Enfield, which stated that it would not allow new clubs. Elsewhere in London, Hackney, Haringey, and the City of London have all capped their quotas for new clubs at zero, though Hackney has made one area, Haggerston, an exception for existing clubs. Islington, which has four clubs, has also voted in a nil policy on new venues. Richmond upon Thames has adopted a nil policy on new venues and its last remaining venue will hear its fate next month. Cambridge City Council brought in new licensing laws in June and its only club declined to apply. Newcastle City Council capped the number of clubs at five, and all are having licences considered. There are a further 15 occasional venues, many of which have not applied.

In the Lap of Moralists…Leicester Council closes down 3 lap dancing clubs citing bollox about location

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See article from bbc.co.uk

Three lap dancing clubs in Leicester will not be granted new licences after a city council decision. Lap dancing at the Baby Blue, Panache and Angels clubs is being stopped supposedly because their locations are not considered ‘appropriate’. Platinum Lace in Abbey Street and Spearmint Rhino in Belgrave Gate will be allowed to continue to operate. The three clubs will only be allowed to stay open if they change their shows so they do not include sexual entertainment, the council said. Panache is considered close to residential properties in Yeoman Street. Angels is close to community facilities being built by a university, while Baby Blue, in New Bond Street, is close to a shopping centre.