Abstracts: September 2003

September 1, 2003
Home Office 'get tough' on Movie Star
South Belfast News
According to this article:

Strained relations exist between the Department of Employment and Learning and the Home Office due to the Movie Star Café sex worker scandal according to informed sources. 

In July 2002 the DEL, then headed by former South Belfast Assemblyman Carmel Hanna, issued a block permit granting 17 Eastern European sex workers permission to work at the Movie Star Cafe lapdancing club in Belfast.  That sparked a campaign by human rights activists and those with moral objects to campaign for the club to be shut down.  DEL initially insisted they had issued the block permit with approval and on behalf of the Home Office.  The Home Office strongly denied this and insist they have never granted work permits to sex workers.  Since July 2002 the DEL and Home Office have contradicted one another.  Home Office senior officials are now said to have had enough. 

September 2, 2003
'Sex sold at Spearmint club' 
Evening Standard 
Rebecca Mowling and Mark Wilkinson
According to this article:
A former Uxbridge Spearmint Rhino employee, Johnny Singh, said  that lap dancers regularly sold sex at the club and that drugs were "rife" at the branch.  He claims to have regularly complained to management and the dancers were either fired or fined but were soon allowed to return to work.

Singh also claimed that management threatened to plant drugs on him if they decided to get rid of him.  He recorded a conversation between himself and Stuart Dobson, general manager at the Colnbrook club.  The recordings, substantiating his claim were played in an employment tribunal in Reading where Mr. Singh is claiming unfair dismissal after two and a half years of employment at the club.  Singh says he was fired (in 2003, shortly after being moved to the Heathrow branch) after discussing details of illegal activities at Spearmint Rhino with a friend who helped with a police investigation.

A former colleague, Lee Freer (also fired) said Johnny saw everything going on and knew what the management were ignoring; which girls were working as prostitutes or selling drugs.  Singh decided to help with a police investigation after Freer's firing. Spearmint Rhino lawyers representing RKW Spearmint Rhino Ventures are contesting Mr Singh's claim.

September 5, 2003
Strippers protest at job centre
BBC
According to this article:

Staff at Gloucester House job centre in Belfast recently removed a advertisement placed by Angel Promotions a stripogram company,  because they thought the wording was inappropriate.  Job centres must meet DEL guidelines and cannot display ads for strippers. 

Geoff Dowey, who runs Angel Promotions said there had been numerous complaints about the wording and the ads were withdrawn.  The ads said they were looking for drivers and dancers in the kissogram field, the candidates had to be over 18 and full training would be given and Dowey said that when people called he told them exactly what was involved and had not attempted to purposefully deceive anyone.  He wrote a new ad specifically stating the company was seeking strippers and was then told the job centre would not place the ad because it had the potential to put the department in disrepute.

September 20, 2003
Worries over new lap dance bid

Birmingham
Legs Eleven
Club Opening

Abstract to follow.

• http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/?objectid=
  13429193&method=full&siteid=50002/

September 23, 2003
Licensing chiefs say no to sex shop 
The Scotsman 
James Doherty
According to this article:

An application by Darker Enterprises to open Glasgow's first sex shop was rejected by Glasgow City Council's licensing sub-committee on Sept. 22.  The shop would offer hardcore pornography, videos and DVDS.  The company is considering legal action to overturn the decision.  Darker Enterprises had paid a non-returnable fee of over £10,000 for processing the license.

Over 450 objections had been lodged, mainly against the proposed location.  A council spokeswoman confirmed the decision reflected Glasgow's zero tolerance approach to the operation of a licensed sex industry within city boundaries and that the decision was in the best interest of Glasgow citizens.  A Glasgow Chamber of Commerce survey conducted on local businesses found that 75% of respondents believed that the opening of a sex shop in city centre would damage Glasgow's image. 

There are currently 5 licensed sex shops in Edinburgh.

September 26, 2003
Lap-dancing set for the Merrie City?
LAP-DANCING could be coming to Wakefield.
Wakefield Today 
According to this article:

Two erotic dancing clubs, 20-20 on Market St. and Shooters on Upper Kirkgate have urged the Wakefield council to lift the ban on erotic dancing.  Spokesmen for the clubs say that people's attitudes are more liberal and that Wakefield is losing business to other cities that offer a "wider choice of entertainment".

The Very Rev George Nairn-Briggs, Dean of Wakefield said erotic dancing is demeaning to women and makes them into sex objects.  He hoped the ban would remain in effect.

The general manager of The Purple Door lap-dancing club in Doncaster, Tracy Asquith welcomed the bid and said Wakefield was lagging behind other cities.  She said that in 5 years time there would be lap-dancing clubs in every town and city.

Wakefield Council's Licensing Section would not comment during the processing period.

September 30, 2003
Lap-dance club seeks licence renewal
Belfast Telegraph
Mary Fitzgerald
According to this article:

Belfast City Council's health and environment committee met on this date to consider a renewal application for the license held by the Movie Star Cafe in Belfast. 

The club has been embroiled in controversy since its opening.  Earlier in 2003, owner Kevin Bryson successfully appealed a High Court clause prohibiting lapdancing or nudity at the club.

Rev Martin Smyth, South Belfast MP said he would be objecting to the renewal application and that there were countless reasons for refusing it and none for allowing it.  He said that beside the obvious and legitimate moral concerns that the club was totally inappropriate for the area due to the large number of residents.

September 30, 2003
Club licence renewal refused
BBC
According to this article:
Kevin Bryson, owner of the Movie Star Cafe lost the first round of his battle to keep his entertainment licence when the Belfast City Council rejected his renewal application.  The final decision will be taken by the full council.  Bryson said he would appeal to the County Court if the full council rejects the license.

September 30, 2003
MP to Give Objections to Lap Dance Licence Renewal at Council Hearing
Press Statement from Rev Martin Smyth MP
"Rev Martin Smyth MP will today attend a special meeting of the Health and Environment Committee of Belfast City Council which is to consider an application to renew the licence of the Movie Star Café lap dancing club in Botanic Avenue. The South Belfast MP will be giving his objections to the application to the Committee at its meeting at City Hall at 12 noon. The Ulster Unionist President said:

"This is the second time that the Council will consider this application. At the last meeting neither the applicant nor his representatives turned up and so he is being given a second opportunity. However, I was also unable to attend on the last occasion and so I am glad to get another opportunity today."

"The licence allowing this club to operate was never granted by the Council but was instead obtained through the purchase of the premises. The courts then ruled that licence criteria the Council had introduced restricting activities involving nudity could not be imposed midway through the term of a licence, and so the club has been in business merely on the basis of the technicality. Now there should be no loopholes and I am confident that the Council will see fit to reject this application."

"There are countless reasons for refusing this application and none that I can think of for allowing it. Besides the obvious and legitimate moral concerns about the activities carried out inside, the club has been connected to illegal working practices and illegal immigration, and is totally inappropriate for an area which has a large number of residents. Granting the licence for the club to continue would perpetuate the problems and disadvantages the club has brought, yet refusing it would result in no loss to Belfast."

"I have no doubt that South Belfast and Belfast as a whole would be much better off if this club were to disappear from the local landscape."