Lap-dance clubs 'facing closure'

Lap-dancing clubs face closure under plans to reclassify them alongside sex shops and peep shows. Councils are expected to clamp down on clubs near schools or in other controversial locations under the new law.

The Lap Dancing Association said yesterday that its members feared club closures. Vernon Coaker, the police minister, said yesterday: "I think the numbers probably will go down but what's important is that the local people and local authorities feel they have the power to ensure they are sited appropriately."

At present lap-dancing clubs are licensed in the same way as bars and pubs, but under the new legislation they will be classified in the same way as sex shops. The changes are in the Policing and Crime Bill, published yesterday, which also drastically tightens the law on prostitution.