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Soho's historic Windmill strip club faces closure | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
A historic strip club in west London could be forced to close over "serious breaches" of its licensing conditions. | |
The Windmill in Soho, which the film Mrs Henderson Presents was based on, has operated since the 1930s and is famed for staying open in the Blitz. | |
Westminster City Council decided on Thursday not to renew its sexual entertainment licence after concerns were raised that dancers regularly broke the no touching rules. | Westminster City Council decided on Thursday not to renew its sexual entertainment licence after concerns were raised that dancers regularly broke the no touching rules. |
The club declined to comment. | The club declined to comment. |
Councillor Angela Harvey, chairman of the council's licensing committee, said: "After careful review of the evidence provided for and against the renewal of this sexual entertainment licence, Westminster City Council has decided not to renew this venue's licence. | Councillor Angela Harvey, chairman of the council's licensing committee, said: "After careful review of the evidence provided for and against the renewal of this sexual entertainment licence, Westminster City Council has decided not to renew this venue's licence. |
"Serious breaches of licence conditions will not be tolerated in Westminster's licensed venues. | "Serious breaches of licence conditions will not be tolerated in Westminster's licensed venues. |
"We expect any business operating under a licence within our city, to do so in a safe and responsible way, ensuring protection of all those who come into contact with this form of entertainment." | "We expect any business operating under a licence within our city, to do so in a safe and responsible way, ensuring protection of all those who come into contact with this form of entertainment." |
The move came after a women's rights group complained the club was breaching conditions banning physical contact between dancers and clients. | |
The dancers, the group said, are under a management which could be "prostituting them". | The dancers, the group said, are under a management which could be "prostituting them". |
The group had hired former police officers to collect evidence and one of them described how a dancer "rubbed herself up and down" on him and touched him intimately. | The group had hired former police officers to collect evidence and one of them described how a dancer "rubbed herself up and down" on him and touched him intimately. |
He also said the dancer paid the security guard £10 to "look the other way". | He also said the dancer paid the security guard £10 to "look the other way". |
The Soho Society said it was concerned women working for the Windmill "may end up in a working environment where they are even more vulnerable than they are at present". | The Soho Society said it was concerned women working for the Windmill "may end up in a working environment where they are even more vulnerable than they are at present". |
The owner of the club apologised for the venue's "failings" in a letter to the council and said he was "confident" of ensuring compliance after a number of dancers were dismissed or suspended for breaking "no touching rules". | |
The club has 21 days to appeal the decision. | The club has 21 days to appeal the decision. |
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