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Sexy Santa posters axed
Dec 10 2004
By Poppy Brady
A top Labour councillor was today pushing for tough new licensing laws on lap dancing clubs which tarnish the city's image.
Coun Ian Ward wants the Government to licence the clubs under the same legislation as sex shops, giving local authorities greater control.
It follows this week's "naked advert" rumpus sparked by the city's latest lap dancing club, and exclusively revealed in the Evening Mail.
Coun Ward, shadow cabinet member for regeneration, said: "At the moment lap dancing clubs need only a public entertainment licence like pubs, but we want to see this changed to a sex establishment licence.
"This would prevent any pub becoming a lap dancing club. Currently the local authority is powerless to prevent this.
"This latest episode over the naked advert highlights the fact that Birmingham's reputation is becoming tarnished. We are the country's lap dancing capital and people are tired of it."
Coun Ward added: "Re-action to the Mail story makes it obvious that families don't want to see these clubs advertised on billboards and on the sides of buses."
The Medusa Club was today ripping down all ten offending posters across the city and replacing them with a more modest version.
Club spokesman Jules Green said: "We intend to change the posters during the course of today, as it was never our intention to offend anyone."
The original ad is now with the Advertising Standards Authority after 16 complaints.
