Two lap dancing venues are amongst the first in Scotland to fall foul of the country's new licensing laws.

Spearmint Rhino, rival Seventh Heaven, and The Glaswegian Bar, all in Glasgow, have been denied licences under the new act which comes in on September 1.

The decisions mean they will have to shut up shop on that date unless they appeal to the courts. They have been told the refusal follows evidence collected by licensing standards officers (LSOs), which were newly created under the act to form part of the local authority's general enforcement team. It aims to bring breaches of the law and policies to the attention of the licensing boards.

Glasgow Licensing Board heard how early last month CCTV footage showed two dancers at Spearmint Rhino stripped naked, breaching local policies. The board heard that officers whilst conducting an inspection relative to the code of conduct, viewed premises' CCTV and witnessed two dancers removing their lower garments to knee level thereby exposing their genitalia. In a separate incident, officers also witnessed several dancers making considerable contact with patrons whilst performing.

Spearmint Rhino, was also reported for breaching low cost alcohol policies and allegations an employee exposed her breasts while handing out flyers in Glasgow city centre.

LSO evidence also resulted in the refusal of a licence under the 2005 Act to Seventh Heaven after LSO evidence that eight dancers had removed lower garments, the board making its decision on the basis that refusal prevents crime and disorder and protects and improves public health.

Both lap dancing venues had explained that the staff involved in the incidents were previously Edinburgh based, where full nudity is permitted, and had been reprimanded while the board said it fully expected appeals to the sheriff.

Evidence that led to the decision on Friday to refuse the Glaswegian in Bridge Street a licence included allegations of sectarian behaviour, intimidation of LSOs and local residents, and ineffectual management. The court heard that on one occasion the arrival of the LSOs was announced by the DJ over the speaker system as The Noise Police and was followed by customers shouting obscenities about the Pope to the tune of Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline while the officers waited to speak to management.

All three are expected to appeal which, if ongoing by September, allows them to continue trading until there is an outcome.

Update: Glasgow licensing board imposes a moral code on lap dancing

29th June 2009.  Based on article from theherald.co.uk

The head of Glashow's largest licensing authority has declared war on lap dancing clubs despite allowing one venue to remain open. Stephen Dornan, chairman of Glasgow Licensing Board, said he was issuing a last chance to adult entertainment venues after granting a licence to the club Forbidden and delaying a decision on another until August.

But industry sources have accused Councillor Dornan of running a show trial and attempting to use the board to impose a moral code in line with that supported by Glasgow City Council.
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Observers had expected that after the last board meeting all lap dancing venues in Glasgow would have had their licences revoked. At the meeting, the board heard further LSO evidence in relation to Forbidden, formerly Legs'N'Co, including one incident in March when inspectors witnessed a dancer removing her lower garments to above knee level and that considerable contact was also made between the dancer and patron.

After being told the dancer had been immediately sacked after the matter was brought to the attention of the management, Councillor Dornan said: This issue of dancers doing what they're not supposed to do keeps reoccuring.

It doesn't happen here (full nudity). This isn't London and Glasgow isn't turning into Soho. We have conditions and if you're not complying with them then go to London, Edinburgh or Birmingham. It's not acceptable to say that the dancers have come from other areas where this is permitted and don't know our rules. This behaviour won't be tolerated in Glasgow and members here support that.

Diamond Dolls will find out in August whether its conversion' to the new regime will go ahead after the board raised last minute objections about changes to the lay-out which it said now included a private dance area.

But afterwards one leading industry source said the board were making little effort to conceal their efforts to rid Glasgow of adult entertainment venues. He said: It's all just about running a show trial. Councillor Dornan has made clear his distaste for these venues but its not about his taste or the morals of the council. It's about the law.

Glasgow Council is taking action against cabbies in the local area who feature advertising for lap-dancing clubs in their vehicles.

A ban has been issued by the authority which prevents any of its workers from using a taxi which displays advertising for the establishments, reports the Sunday Mail.

The council explained that it has decided to initiate the move as part of its ongoing actions against Glasgow's lap-dancing industry, which it described as a form of commercial sexual exploitation.

Council deputy leader Jim Coleman, who announced the ban via letters written to each department, has stated that taxis in the area which promote the clubs will therefore no longer benefit from the authority's custom.

This comes after the body last month announced new plans to install CCTV cameras inside cabs operating in the city in a move to monitor taxi users.

Mean minded licensing chiefs in Glasgow have secured a legal victory over a lap-dancing chain in a ruling that could have ramifications for the entertainment and leisure industry throughout Scotland.

In what was viewed as the first real test in the courts of Scotland's new liquor laws, Glasgow Sheriff Court threw out an attempt by Spearmint Rhino to overturn a decision from last year against it getting a licence.

The decision, which was made by Sheriff Craig Scott, will send shockwaves through the licensed trade and local authorities. It effectively gives licensing boards carte blanche to determine how venues are run, and gives them more power than they have had in more than 35 years.

Spearmint Rhino, based on Glasgow's Drury Street and now called Platinum Lace, is expected to appeal to the Court of Session but will keep on trading for the moment as allowed in the previous licensing laws.

Glasgow Licensing Board heard how CCTV footage showed two dancers at Spearmint Rhino stripped naked, breaching repressive local policies.

Fun prevention officers also witnessed several dancers making considerable contact with patrons while performing. In addition, an employee was alleged to have exposed her breasts while handing out flyers in Glasgow city centre.

The application was refused as it was supposedly inconsistent with the licensing objectives of preventing crime and disorder, and protecting and improving public health. The premises were considered unsuitable for the use of alcohol, the board said.

Brightcrew, the licence holder for the club's owners, argued in court that the board had introduced a non-statutory basis for the decision, insisting it should be concerned only with issues directly related to the sale of alcohol.

But Sheriff Scott, who ruled against Glasgow's refusal of a lap-dancing application at a court hearing several years ago, ruled that under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 boards are required to set out policies and objectives which are very broad in nature.

He said that Glasgow was entitled to refuse a licence if it felt an application was inconsistent with those objectives. However, he disagreed that the club was unsuitable for the use of alcohol.