Spearmint Rhino Sheffield: Club 'should lose licence'

Claims of repeated sexual touching by dancers were read out at a council meeting

Explicit details of alleged sexual acts performed by dancers at a strip club have been presented to councillors by campaigners calling for the club to have its licence revoked.

Zero Option Sheffield said private investigators witnessed dancers performing sex acts at Spearmint Rhino during two undercover visits.

Campaigners say the behaviour is in breach of the venue's licence.

Spearmint Rhino said it would be investigating the allegations.

Sheffield City Council was told investigators visited the venue in Brown Street on two separate occasions in February.

Details of their findings, including claims of repeated sexual touching by dancers, were read out at a council meeting.

Charlotte Mead, Sheffield branch leader for the Women's Equality Party, said: "The findings detailed by our investigators clearly shows the link between so called acceptable parts of the sex industry and prostitution.

'Graphic details'

"The Oxford English Dictionary defines prostitution as the practise or occupation of engaging in sexual activity with someone for payment.

"It appears that this may be what is going on in Spearmint Rhino in Sheffield, not only a breach of their licensing conditions but a possible unlawful activity.

"We request that the club's licence should be revoked with immediate effect."

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Speaking after the hearing, council leader Julie Dore, who at one stage walked out of the room while some of the graphic details were read out, said the reports should be handed to the licensing committee "immediately" for it to consider.

A spokesperson for Spearmint Rhino said: "Spearmint Rhino imposes strict rules at all of its establishments to ensure that they comply with the regulations that govern our premises.

"If those rules have been broken we take the matter very seriously and we are carrying out an investigation into the allegations.

"To date we have not been provided with any evidence from the persons making the allegations."