Councillor calls for gentlemen's club licence to be stripped

A gentlemen’s club should have its licence stripped, according to a councillor.

Cllr Wesley Richards (Con, Castle Without) urged the Royal Borough’s licensing panel sub-committee last night to refuse an application by Pink Gentleman’s Club, in Oxford Road East, to renew its Sexual Entertainment Venue (SEV) licence.

The club, which is open from 9pm to 4am six nights a week, was first granted a licence in 2011 and is reviewed yearly.

Cllr Richards told the panel: “Given that this is the home of the Queen, I would say that a sexual entertainment venue within half a mile of the Queen’s residence is inappropriate.”

Fellow objector Cllr Jack Rankin (Con, Castle Without) said that the strip club was inappropriate for the character of the area and also criticised the club’s bright pink van which cruises around Windsor advertising the venue.

Cllr Richards added: “I struggle to think of a more aggressive form of advertising than a gentleman’s club parking a pink van right in-front of the castle.

“This is not the top shelf with a wrapper on.”

Sarah Le Fevre, representing Pink Gentleman’s Club, said the club was ‘as discreet as one could possibly wish a sexual entertainment venue to be’.

She added: “You’re not dealing with a Spearmint Rhino or one of the large operators. This is a committed, competent, engaged licensee.”

Objectors also said the strip club had breached its licence by posting a picture on its Twitter feed showing a dancer straddling a man in the venue.

Striptease performers are forbidden from touching customers before, during or after a performance.

But Ms Le Fevre said this picture had been taken when the club was closed and featured two members of staff.

She added: “We took this as a serious matter of concern and the member of staff was removed from the payroll.”

A decision is expected to be made on whether the licence will be renewed in the next five working days.