Labour campaigners back tougher regulation on strip clubs

Labour in Brighton and Hove has renewed its call for a Bill to regulate strip clubs. This comes as the City's licensing committee granted a license for a fifth "nude venue", in Pool Valley, central Brighton.

The council has been left almost powerless to limit these clubs, following a ruling by local magistrates, and Labour councillors hoped to stop the stream of new openings by bringing in new legislation through a Private Bill in Parliament. But councillors were told tha the Tory-controlled council has missed the deadline to bring in the new legislation this year - setting the process back 12 months.

The city's three Labour MPs have backed the move and may see if another mechanism, a Private Member's Bill in the name of an individual MP, can be used.

Celia Barlow MP said “I believe it is imperative to secure tougher legislation for premises of this nature. The law as it stands does not allow the Council to regulate their activities sufficiently and this is unacceptable.”

“I share the Council’s concerns that they feel unable to restrict the spread of places of this nature as the standards set in the national indecency law are insufficient.”