UK Sex Sells News

The PC ideology gestapo have been laying into Ukip leader, Nigel Farage after it emerges that party candidate owns the Urban Tiger table dancing club in Northampton.

In an interview on Wednesday with BBC Radio 5 Live's breakfast show, Farage, who has traded on his flamboyant and outspoken image, said it was nonsense that he had frequented and enjoyed lap-dancing clubs in the past but admitted going to one once unintentionally. He said:

I was taken once unwittingly and I did say that I wasn't appalled by it. I did quite like it. What you want me to say? I hated it?

Back in February, Farage was accused by the then Ukip MEP Marta Andreasen of being anti-women . In the interview he was asked whether his comment confirmed Andreasen's unflattering portrayal of him before she quit the party and defected to the Tories. He replied:

That's really rather silly. I have to tell you, if I'd been anti-women, then the whole of my adult life would have been just that much simpler.

Applicants for a table dancing licence in Slough have failed to get a council ban overturned after a judicial review.

South Bucks District Council's refusal of a licence to use Pandora's, in Uxbridge Road, as a sex entertainment venue was backed by Mr Justice Sales. The High Court judge rejected KVP Ent Ltd's challenge, dismissing claims the council's decision in November 2011, was unlawful and inconsistent with the decision the same month, to grant planning permission for a change of use of the ground floor from a restaurant to a table dancing nightclub.

The judge found the council was entitled to reach the decision it did, rejecting claims it gave inadequate reasons for the refusal.

The council had claimed it would be inappropriate to grant the licence due to the character of the locality. A spokeswoman from South Bucks District Council said:

The council is very pleased to have successfully defended the challenge by way of Judicial Review of its decision to refuse the application for a Sex Establishment Licence for lap dancing at Pandora's in George Green and to have been awarded a full costs order against the claimant.

Hounslow Council have proposed a ban on lap dancing clubs and sex shops in the London Borough. The council describes changes to its existing policy:

• To clarify the situation with regards to all sex establishments. The policy is now specific in that it relates to both sexual entertainment venues (such as lap and pole dancing clubs) and other sex establishments (such as sex shops and cinemas)

• To introduce a limit to the number of sex establishments and sexual entertainment venues that are suitable for the borough. The revised policy proposes no sex establishments and sexual entertainment venues

• To introduce a period after which the policy will be reviewed. This period has been set as five years although will not preclude the policy being reviewed in the interim

The public is invited to have its say by e-mailing licensing@hounslow.gov.uk by 19 April 2013.

The findings of the consultation will be considered by the licensing committee before being presented for agreement by full council.

Plans for a weekly lap dancing night at a Shrewsbury club will be put to the vote next month.

Rob Bywater, the owner of The Source on Barker Street, has applied for a sex entertainment licence. He explained that the venue was already allowed to hold lap dancing nights once per month, but due to public demand he had decided to apply for the sex encounter establishment licence so as to be able to hold weekly events. He plans a Thursday lap dancing night, featuring a mixture of pole dancing in the club area and lap dancing in private booths.

But the plans are being opposed by miserable councillors of Shrewsbury Town Council who ludicrously claim the lap dancing night would somehow contravene the human rights of residents living nearby. It remains unexplained  as to exactly which right is supposedly being contravened.

Shropshire Councillor Miles Kenny also joined in the moral opposition with the unsubstantiated claim:

It is not suitable for this town and there is a lot of feeling against the application. I hope that those on the committee will see sense in not having this

MP Daniel Kawczynski claimed plans to transform the Source Vodka Bar in Barker Street into a sex encounter establishment were not right for Shrewsbury. He spouted:

Shrewsbury town centre is not an appropriate place for these establishments, they have a place in big cities like London but I don't think Shrewsbury is the right place. I think lap dancing is demeaning.

Aptly named Shrewsbury Town Council leader Peter Nutting also attacked the plans. He moralised:

It doesn't fit in with the high quality restaurants and night-life we have in Shrewsbury.

The application will be heard by Shropshire Council's licensing and safety sub-committee meeting on April 10.

Update: Shrewsbury Sixth Form College seeks to censor table dancing club

5th April 2013.  See  article from  shropshirestar.com  

The governors of Shrewsbury Sixth Form College claim they have a duty of care to ensure their 1,500 students were not encouraged to enter similar establishments through extensive advertising or direct touting and wrote in a letter to the council:

We are not seeking to act as censors, or to be the arbiters of citizens' tastes. The objection is not directed at the opening of the S.E.E, merely the unsuitable location. ...[BUT]...

We are concerned that such a destination will lead to a change in the perception of Shrewsbury and in particular this part of town which could be harmful to our business.

Update: Licence Granted

16th April 2013. See  article from  shropshirestar.com

The plans for weekly table dancing Source Vodka Bar, on Barker Street, were approved with conditions by Shropshire Council's licensing committee.

The bar will now be permitted to hold the lap dancing night every Thursday from 9pm until 3am for the next 12 months, when the sex encounter establishment licence will be reviewed. There will be tables and chairs in the back half of the bar where four clothed ladies will perform a series of pole dances throughout the night. Three private booths will also be available for one-to-one lap dances which will feature nudity.

Tony Mantle, police licensing officer for Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, said: From the records I've been monitoring there have been no reported incidents to myself or the police that would impact on crime or anti-social behaviour.

Owner Rob Bywater thanked the committee for its open minded approach .

A new draft policy recommends that Leeds City Council imposes a limit of four lap dancing clubs,  three fewer than are currently operating. It also suggests banning strip joints from sensitive locations , for example near schools and religious buildings.

The new proposals were welcomed by Leeds West MP Rachel Reeves, who led last year's campaign. She spouted:

I want Leeds to be seen as a welcoming, family-friendly city and I do not feel that the proliferation of lap dancing clubs in prominent locations sends out a positive image of our city to visitors. I hope that the licensing committee uses the cap on the number of venues as a way of doing this.

Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, the Rt Revd John Packer, is backing the new policy. One would think that churches should lay off preaching about sexual morality until they have got their own houses in order, but he spouted anyway:

This seems an appropriate response to the concerns expressed by many that some parts of Leeds city centre could be effectively barred to children and families because of the sheer number of SEVs. It is important that the city of Leeds is seen as a place of welcome and encouragement to all.

The policy was drawn up by a council working group following a survey of more than 1,800 members of the council's Citizens Panel. Asked how many lap dancing clubs was appropriate for the city centre, 59% said four or fewer, of which nearly half said there should be none. The licensing committee is now likely to put the draft policy out for public consultation.

Update: Leeds Council reminded that it is against the law for councils to close down businesses for arbitrary moral reasons

14th March 2013.  See  article from  yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk

Lawyers have warned council chiefs to brace themselves for costly High Court action if they attempt to shut down Leeds lap dancing clubs.

As reported in the YEP a new draft policy proposes to limit the number of strip venues in the city to four -- three fewer than are currently operating. Now committee members heard the authority could well face legal action if it forced any existing businesses to shut.

Council solicitor Richard Des Forges said:

We can't get away from the fact that there's an element of risk. We have taken advice from one of the leading barristers in the area and what the lap dancing clubs could do is take us to the High Court for a judicial review.

What they can argue is fairly limited and, as long as we have dotted the 'i's and crossed the 't's and we know where they will attack us, we should be okay. But there are no guarantees.

Legal Considerations

First of all it noted that an existing licence is considered in law as a protected possession in human rights law:

It has been accepted that a licence is classed as a possession capable of protection under Article 1 of the First Protocol of the European Convention on Human Rights.

This clearly states that a person has a right to peaceful enjoyment of his possessions and the case of Tre Traktorer Aktiebolag v Sweden (1989) 13 EHRR classifies a licence as something capable of protection.

Not something that can councils can take away on a moralist or feminist whim.

Secondly there are European requirements imported into UK law that impose standard conditions on councils when considering licence applications:

The Provision of Services Regulations [S.I. 2009/2999]. Regulation 24(1) imposes three important tests highlighting that any refusal must be:

• Non discriminatory
• Necessary
• Proportionate

Surely this would allow failed applicants to ask a court 'exactly how necessary was it for a council to refuse a license for a 5th venue, when 4 others have been approved by the council?

A Leeds MP has demanded an apology from a councillor who does not agree with her extremist views. Rachel Reeves has branded Leeds City Council councillor Joe Marjoram's comments about lap dancing proposals on the social networking site as outrageous .

Councillor Marjoram had been responding to Leeds City Council's recommendation to ban several of the city's lap dancing clubs. The Conservative councillor tweeted that he would not object if someone planned to open up a lap dancing club in his ward but added it would not make money outside the city centre . He then made light in another tweet: naked dancing girls for neighbours sounds great.

Marjoram told the YEP that he stood by his comments and that they were a joke:

It was intended as a joke and anyone who read that needs to go away and get a sense of humour.

There's nothing wrong with the lap dancing industry. It's not linked to the sex trade or forced labour.

If people object to it as an industry then don't take it out on me. Making a complaint about a tweet will get nothing done and it shows how pedantic they are.

If I have done something illegal, unlawful or offensive they can report me to the police if not they can get lost.

Reeves retorted:

Frankly I'm pretty shocked that a Leeds councillor has made these outrageous comments. I call on Councillor Marjoram to withdraw his comments and apologise for them.

Protesters who staged a city-centre demonstration over plans for a lap dancing club were celebrating last night after the plans were rejected by the council.

A group gathered on the steps of Sheffield Town Hall waving placards and chanting to voice their opposition to the opening of Steelhouse Lap Dancing Club on the city's West Street.

Members of the committee refused the plans with trivial claims that scheme would supposedly be:

Out of keeping and cause harm to its heart of the city location on West Street. It is considered that the proposal would not contribute to building a positive and attractive image.

It is concluded that the proposed lap dancing venue would have a materially detrimental effect on schemes for continuing regeneration in the area and stimulating the vitality and viability of the city centre.

Council staff also said the hours of operation were too late and could disturb nearby residents

A lapdancing club that provoked 'outrage' in the Bedfordshire town of Ampthill has ended the lapdancing. The club will now become a standard nightclub.

Shaylers, which opened at the end of November, announced this week on its official Twitter account that it would be relaunching on Friday as a nightclub with no dancers.

UK adult trade body AITA has announced that its March AGM will be its last and that the association will be wound up immediately afterwards.

An official announcement from AITA stated:

With the limited resources available to AITA, it did not come as a surprise to learn that the majority of current members felt that AITA is underperforming in its provision of key services when considering their relative importance.

It is clear that this cannot be addressed without a significant injection of cash. AITA has significantly reduced its running costs over the last three years, however with corresponding decreasing subscriptions it has been running at a significant loss since at least 2010. Due to the lack of ongoing support for AITA from the general UK adult industry, and after much deliberation, the committee believes that it is no longer tenable for AITA to continue after the end of the membership year (March 31st) and all committee members will resign on that date and the company closed down.

The committee would like to thank all members for their support over the years. As individuals they will continue to work to support the UK adult industry where they can, offering ongoing advice in their particular area of expertise and continuing to network at adult industry events.

Update: Further details from XBIZ

27th February 2013. See  article from  newswire.xbiz.com

AITA, the U.K. trade association representing the adult industry, has announced that it is closing operations at the end of March because of declining membership revenue. AITA explained in a stetment:

After much deliberation the committee believes that it is no longer tenable for AITA to continue after the end of the membership year (March 31) and all committee members will resign on that date and the company closed down, the group announced. AITA has significantly reduced it's running costs over the last three years, however with corresponding decreasing subscriptions it has been running at a significant loss since at least 2010.

Fiona Patten, who leads the EROS Association, Australia's adult retail and entertainment group, as its executive officer told XBIZ:

it's both disappointing and galling to see that AITA is closing its doors after more than a decade of representing the U.K. adult industry and the international industry to U.K. media and government.

What it means is that the U.K. media, the general public and the British government will no longer have a united industry voice to deal with. The government especially will not pick up the phone and call the Sullivan Brothers or David Gold for an industry response to censorship or ethics issues.

From what I am seeing, attacks on the industry in the U.K. are increasing with continued talk about an Internet filter and campaigns to shut down adult retail outlets. They need a national association now, more than ever.

...Read the full article

How will the courts decide what constitutes porn?

The question of what exactly constitutes pornography, as always, is problematic no matter where such laws might be implemented. Sex is sex is sex, you say? People pay to watch fully-clothed women do unspeakable things to bowls of jelly specifically for the purposes of sexual arousal. The I know it when I see it obscenity argument, aka the Hicklin Test, is indicative of the sort of thinking that usually surrounds such issues. Would we have to appoint a Pornfinder General?

What about your own naughty photos? Would they be banned too?

People would rightly be concerned about the status of private entertainment. Would partners taking naughty pictures of each other for their private consumption be prosecuted? Or is it only paying for it that's considered problematic? In that case what about the people in Iceland who pay to advertise on swinger's websites or go to fetish club nights? Britain's culture of swinging, dogging, and fetish clubs is leaps and bounds beyond Iceland's, by the way. How can you tell the difference between images produced for free and images produced for pay, or who the intended audience is? And who gets prosecuted?

How do you delete people's hard drive?

Finally there is the reality of porn consumption in countries like Iceland and Britain that have had longstanding access to internet porn: people who view porn online don't just stream it, they save it. Would it be possible to eliminate the porn already in the country? Of course not. Would it be feasible to stop people from being able to share it through peer-to-peer applications, email attachments, and the myriad other ways of transferring files? Unlikely. Is any government prepared to institute and pay for a system by which all of the country's electronic traffic passes through some checking bottleneck?

People can and did exchange contraband information long before the advent of the internet. They always will. And if so, be prepared for early-90s computing skills re-emerging - you know, back in the pre-World Wide Web days when internet porn collectors used to share and decode files. Simply applying some iteration of a pink block filter wouldn't stop this.

Extract: Even Russia Today has published an article about the stupidity of porn blocking

24th February 2013. See  article from  rt.com

A former MI5 agent Annie Machon warns, this could be a slippery slope to even more censorship from the government.

RT: If Iceland introduces this ban, what effect would that have on the rest of the world?

AM: I think it is unlikely that they will introduce it. But if they do, then I think it is very quickly going to be seen as failed. As I said people will find a way to tunnel around it, they will be up against the innovation of the porn industry. So, it would probably be a failed experiment within a year or two. But I think if a western country seen to be doing this it will be a justification for other more totalitarian regimes to say Well, you know, Iceland's doing this. So we can do it, too. And of course it might well encourage ill thought out policies in other western democracies.

RT: Critics have been pointing out that censorship technology is linked to surveillance technology. If Iceland gives the green light to this ban, can we be sure it will be just about child protection?

AM: We absolutely can't. As soon as you start allowing certain technologies to be input onto the internet to stop and censor certain information they will be misused by police, by intelligence agencies and as soon as we are aware that the internet is being censored and we might be being watched or monitored all times, then we start to self-censor as well. We will not download books or information as freely as we might in case it might be deemed radical or subversive and we are going on some domestic extremists hit-list. And then, of course, we self-censor what we say on the internet as well. So, it will be very quick to slide in some sort of Orwellian big brother dystopia.

...Read the full article

Sex shops and lap-dancing clubs should be banned in Nottingham, claims the county's Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, Chris Cutland.

Cutland moralises that such businesses are old fashioned and demeaning to women:

I would like to see a ban. There is a correlation particularly between how women feel when there are more sex shops and lap-dancing clubs -- it makes areas no-go areas for women.

Cutland cited debunked research by feminist campaigners in the London Borough of Camden which claimed to show that there was a 50% increase in sexual assaults after a rapid expansion of lap-dancing clubs.

Of course there is no evidence to support this ridiculous claim and she admitted:

Fortunately there have been no recorded incidents of violence or sexual assault in Notts which can be directly linked to these venues but is that because their presence in the city is very limited at present?

Police have not recorded any offences against women at any of the three licensed sex venues in the city. These are the sex shops Delta Love in Radford Road and Private Shop, Upper Parliament Street, along with lap dancing club Flirtz, in Friar Lane.

The city council is asking people for views on its repressive policy for the venues, saying its preferred option would be for no lap-dancing clubs or sex shops.

Barry Maltby, who works at Private Shop, said:

I don't understand why they want it banned, we're not harming anybody. I can't understand what we've done wrong. What's next, bookies, nightclubs and pubs? The council has got no idea what we do here. I think they live in another world. There's lots of nice customers come in here, the days of rain macs have gone, it's couples that come in.

The council's consultation survey is available on its website and closes next Friday, February 22. The Council plans to finalise its policy by May 2013.

Offsite Article: Nottingham lap dancers hit back at demeaning claims

20th February 2013. See  article from  thisisnottingham.co.uk

Canadian drink censors have ordered stores in the province of Manitoba to remove bottles of Ron de Jeremy rum from shelves. The bottle features an image of Jeremy's face on its label above the slogan the adult liquor

Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries spokeswoman Andrea Kowal explained that they erred on the side of caution after it received several complaints.

But on Thursday the rum was back in stores, after the drinks censors changed their mind and deemed the bottle unoffensive.  Kowal told Canada's The National Post:

There's nothing offensive about the name of the product or its label; you have to know who Ron Jeremy is and what his former profession was --- and then that has to offend you,

The man behind the Ron Jeremy-dedicated booze said he was thrilled his product was back on shelves.

Sheffield Cathedral has joined a protest against a proposed lap dancing venue in the city centre.

An objection has been lodged in response to an application to convert The Steelhouse bar and club at the corner of Holly Street and West Street, into premises called Wildcats.

Sheffield Council was informed by representatives of Leeds-based Harjen Ltd that it would not be a private members' club or a traditional nightclub with dance floors and loud music, but a bar with a stage for dancing girls doing a striptease show. There would also be private booths form individual customers. Access would be on a discriminatory basis restricted to people aged over 21.

The Cathedral's protests comes from The Rev Canon Dr Joanne Grenfell, who is Dean of Women's Ministry. She spouts:

Strip clubs undermine women in society by presenting them, in an unequal way, as objects for sexual gratification, and they do not promote healthy committed relationships for men or women and indeed promote casual encounters.

Presumably her god has magically granted her expertise in local planning and economics. She claims, without offering a scrap of evidence or justification:

Already there are similar venues in Sheffield and it is impossible to se why more should be needed.

Such a place might deter investment in other entertainment venues in West Street, which would be detrimental to both the economy and to the community's overall enjoyment of that area.

The local newspaper printed a few more examples of unsubstantiated nonsense from local residents, while the applicants point out that noise levels would be lower than those generated by a typical nightclub.

Update: Playing brainstorming objections to lap dancing, anything will do, even if totally daft

16th February 2013. See  article from  sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk

A nutter group which represents some residents in Sheffield city centre has joined protests against a proposed lap dancing venue. The club - called Wildcats - would be set up in the former Steelhouse bar on the corner of West Street and Carver Lane.

Peter Sephton, of the Sheffield City Centre Residents' Action Group, said members had drawn up a list of objections and submitted them to the council.

• Women in these clubs are self-employed and pay rent to work. This leads to intense competition between performers to gain the attention of male customers.
• These establishments are sexually exploiting women for profit. Is this what we want in Sheffield, which has long stood up for equality of the sexes and people in general and against exploitation of any kind?
• It is close to one of Sheffield's major tourist venues -- the City Hall -- and adjacent to a tram stop. This gives the wrong impression to city visitors.
• The business also opens its doors in the middle of a very residential area, and over 150 properties are situated within a few feet of the club. West Street is already turning into Wild West Street for alcohol consumption.
• Concerns about an Amsterdam-style sex industry developing

Xcite Books have announced the winners of the Xcite Awards 2013.

Best Internet Retail Site  - Winner - Lovehoney

The finalists:

• AllRomance.com
• amazon.co.uk
• AnnSummers.com
• LoveHoney.co.uk
• Sextoys.co.uk
• Sh-womenstore.com

Best Blog or Author Page  - winner - Molly's Daily Kiss

The finalists:  

• cliterati.co.uk
• Mollysdailykiss.com
• CaraSutra.co.uk
• kdgrace.co.uk
• LucyFelthouse.co.uk
• rubygoodnight.com

Best Reviewer  - the winner - Lovehoney

The finalists:

• coffeetimeromance.com
• eroticaforall.co.uk
• sextoytesters.co.uk
• theromancereviews.com
• lovehoney.co.uk
• Jade Magazine

Best Sexpert  - the winner - Rachael McCoy

The finalists:

• Tracey Cox - lovehoney.co.uk
• Sarah Berry - fanniesrule.com
• Emily Dubberley - cliterati.co.uk
• Rachael McCoy - rachael-is.com
• Cara Sutra - carasutra.co.uk
• Violet Blue - tinynibbles.com

Best Publication  - the winner - Erotic Trade Only Magazine

The finalists:

• Attitude (gay)
• Cosmopolitan
• Diva (lesbian)
• Erotic Trade Only
• Jade Magazine
• Female First

Birmingham Council moralists want to limit the number of lap dancing clubs in Birmingham to 12, three more than the current nine.

Labour Councillor Majid Mahmood spewed tired clich é ridden and unsubstantiated claptrap:

It's about time we limited the number of sexual entertainment venues in this city. I would hate to see Birmingham turning into another Soho.

However Labour Councillor Habib Rehman warned that decisions based on moralising may be illegal:

We need to ensure what we propose does not flout competition laws.

The restriction idea will now form part of a ten-week consultation on the council's sexual entertainment venue policy. The consultation will also address concerns about the promotional methods used by adults-only venues after councillors last year called for a ban on the use of pornographic images on their websites.

The consultation, due to start next month, will ask members of the public to express their views through the council's website.

A report on the consultation will be put before the committee in April.

The UK adult industry will today launch a new initiative aimed at addressing the issue of child protection from adult material.

To coincide with Safer Internet Day on 5th February, the largest providers of regulated adult services in the UK will launch xxxaware.co.uk offering guidance to parents on how to prevent minors accessing unsuitable videos and images online.

David Cameron recently abandoned plans for an automatic online block on adult content, calling instead for more to be done to support and inform parents about the risks to children. In response to this and to Claire Perry's campaign for better protection from adult material for under 18s, the UK adult industry is setting a landmark precedent with xxxaware.co.uk by creating awareness of available parental controls on computers and connected devices. Finally parents will be able to make informed and intelligent decisions about their family's viewing.

The website will give advice and guidance on controlling everyday household gadgets which now connect to the internet - from the family computer, touch screen tablets, smart phones and games consoles to TV set top boxes. xxxaware.co.uk aims to point parents to the tools available to control their kids' access to the web. Over time the site will develop its own easy step-by-step guides to implementing age-appropriate controls. It will offer reviews of effectiveness of the different solutions and share parents' experiences of installing and using those products on a day-to-day basis.

The site has been developed by adult broadcaster Portland TV and has the support of the UK adult industry. xxxaware.co.uk will give parents the choice, control and confidence to judge what is right for their children without affecting the civil liberties and access to content for others.

The online resource is edited by TV producer Anna Kieran who has worked in the adult business since 1997. She was a founding member of the Adult Industry Trade Association (AITA) set up to give the UK adult industry a voice and representation following the regulatory change in BBFC's R18 guidelines in 2000. She is the mother of two young children and passionate about educating parents about online child protection. In her mission statement Kieran says:

xxxaware.co.uk believes that the best protection for our children from adult materials is through educating parents. By creating a dialogue within the adult industry and launching this site, it is hoped that the uptake of available parental controls can be increased so that adults can continue to access the content they want without risk to children and without heavy-handed government intervention.

A businessman has been refused permission to transform a former restaurant into a lap-dancing club. John Sayers wanted to open The Doll House in the former Septembers restaurant.

But his plans have been smothered at the first hurdle by Blackpool Council's nutter protection committee who refused to grant him a licence.

There are already four lapdancing bars in Blackpool, the arbitrary maximum that council moralists allow. Council solicitor Sharon Davies said the committee had heard nothing that would persuade them there is a need to divert from that policy .

Mark Marshall, the council's licensing manager, said:

There are national studies to demonstrate there's a downturn right across the country in relation to business in lapdancing clubs. I have spoken to all the existing operators (in Blackpool) who all report a huge reduction locally.

To review a policy in terms of numbers there would have to be a big demand in that area which demonstrates the need for more supply, and that certainly is not the case at the moment.

And licensing Sgt Caroline Hannon added:

I don't believe at this time the policy needs to be reviewed and if it was it would open the floodgates for other applications coming through.

Sayers now has the right to ask for a judicial review at court.

A regional press ad, for Larry Flynt's Hustler Club UK, a strip club in Croydon, appeared in the Sutton Guardian. It was headlined HALLOWEEN FETISH NIGHT and a price list was headed Our Barely Legal Prices ... . The ad also featured a large image of a woman wearing a cutaway black PVC top and with a chain and padlock draped over her body.

A complainant, who believed the ad was overtly sexual, challenged whether the ad was:

1. likely to cause serious or widespread offence; and

2. unsuitable for an untargeted medium, in particular because it could be seen by children.

Larry Flynt's Hustler Club (LFHC) said the ad had been checked very carefully prior to publication and they had ensured there was no nudity or cleavage shown. They said they had not received any other complaints about the ad and the outfit the woman was wearing was similar to fancy dress that might be seen at Halloween events. LFHC said the text Our Barely Legal Prices ... was a play on words; they did not believed that this, or the picture were likely to cause serious or widespread offence. They said the Sutton Guardian was not attractive to children. They were, however, willing to amend their advertising if necessary.

ASA Assessment: Complaint upheld

The ASA noted the ad was for an adult entertainment venue and, as such, the image was relevant to the nature of the club being advertised. We considered, however, the combination of the woman's PVC garments, her exposed leg and the chain and padlock, along with the text FETISH NIGHT and Our Barely Legal Prices ... , which we considered was likely to be understood as a reference to the age of consent, meant the ad was overtly sexual. We therefore concluded that the ad was likely to cause serious or widespread offence, particularly in an untargeted medium.

The ad breached CAP Code rules 1.3 (Responsible advertising) and 4.1 (Harm and offence).

The Daily Mail writes:

It may seem obvious to some but a new £ 118,000 study has discovered people do not like the idea of strip clubs being outside schools.

It took a whole year for the University of Kent's School of Social Policy to reach the conclusion of their report which was paid for using taxpayers' money.

The research was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, a non-departmental public body that receives most of its funding through the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Paul Alcock, chairman of Maidstone Town Centre Management, said:

This survey is a total waste of money because they are actually telling us the flaming obvious. Most people don't want lap-dancing venues where kids can see them. The place for this sort of club is at the bottom of the high street or somewhere out of the way.

But Professor Phil Hubbard, who led the research, defended the study. He said:

If you are the type of person who believes all research in this country ought to be looking for a cure for cancer then I am sure our research seems unnecessary.

However, we set out to help local authorities decide where might be appropriate for lap dancing clubs, with a view to making safer cities for all.

Many councillors and local authorities have already thanked us for producing research which will make it easier for them to evolve sensible policies for controlling lap dance clubs.

The organiser of a sex convention says he has been told to remove the word sex from the name of his event, or be banned from Hove Town Hall.

Brighton psychotherapist Steve Griffiths was planning to hold the Love, Sex and Intimacy Fair in September as an event to dispel taboos, tackle discrimination and promote safe sex.

However he says he has been told by tourism bosses that he will have to remove the word sex from the title if he wants to use the council venue. Griffiths said:

We are waiting for confirmation that we can hold the event at Hove Town Hall because they didn't like the word 'sex' in the title.

They suggested we call it southern intimacy instead. It's a bit ridiculous.

Now the Hove Centre has told me that the staff are fine with it but because The Argus asked about it they have to go all around the council to get approval.

Scottish politicians have called for an investigation into a website which introduces Scottish cash-strapped female students to sugar daddies in an effort to help them cover university costs.

The SeekingArrangement website claims the average college Sugar Baby receives approximately £ 5,000 per month to cover the cost of tuition, books and living expenses. The site describes sugar daddy dating as a mutually beneficial arrangement between seekers and finders where the sugar babies state the amount of money they expect to earn from the relationship and the sugar daddies state their budget.

Brandon Wade, chief executive officer and founder of the US-based site, which has two million members worldwide, said:

While some may argue that these women are just using men for their own personal gain, I believe that they are proactive in pursuing a higher education.

Unfortunately, because of the of recent tuition hikes, the college experience has become greatly unbalanced.

But Liz Smith, MSP, Scottish Conservative education spokeswoman claimed that such sites could put female students at risk.

I do not think I will be alone in having deep-seated concerns about this. I am sure there will be many parents, members of staff and indeed many students themselves who will rightly be very wary of the approach of this type of website.

Labour MSP Neil Findlay, a member of the education committee, said:

The company may like to spin this as students 'being proactive in pursuing a higher education' but I am very concerned that this may take are more sinister turn.

Updated: Corrected to absolve Scottish politicians of all blame

Thanks to Alan who kindly pointed out:

I know some Scottish politicians are sanctimonious, authoritarian dipsticks - especially the insufferable Johann Lamont and Nicola Sturgeon, but this time I think you're unfair to them. To give haggis-noshing politicians their due, they abolished tuition fees for Scottish students at Scottish universities. It's English politicians who have imposed fees that may encourage students to earn a bit of dosh as sex workers.

A year-long research project into people's attitudes to lap-dance and striptease clubs in towns and cities in England and Wales has found that most people are only concerned by them if they are situated too near their own homes or local schools.

Lead researcher Professor Phil Hubbard, of the University's School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, found that although many residents consider lap-dance clubs lower the tone of neighbourhoods, most do not consider clubs located in town centres to be a source of nuisance.

The research - funded by a £ 118,000 grant from the Economic and Social Research Council and jointly carried out by Dr Rachela Colosi of the University of Lincoln - is the first of its kind to study the regulation of the 241 lap-dance and striptease clubs in England and Wales and their impact on people's feelings of safety at night. It was prompted by the introduction of new powers to regulate Sexual Entertainment Venues under the Policing and Crime Act 2009.

Professor Hubbard said:

Opposition to lap dancing venues appears mainly based on perceptions that clubs normalize sexism and promote anti-social behaviour rather than any direct experience of crime. Our study did not uncover any evidence that these clubs cause more nuisance or crime than other night-time venues.

The majority of our respondents appeared unconcerned about clubs so long as they were not located near schools or places where they might be particularly visible to young people.

Professor Hubbard said that most local authorities have now adopted the new powers for licensing lap dancing clubs and have sought to develop guidelines indicating where clubs may or may not be located.

55% of all respondents in the research felt lap dancing clubs are appropriate in town and city centres. However, the majority of people felt lap-dancing clubs are inappropriate near to schools (83%) or religious buildings (65%). Very few (3%) felt clubs are suitable in residential areas, even though those living closer to them were no more likely than those living further away to report any nuisance being generated by lap-dancing clubs.

Around one in ten respondents felt that there is no suitable location for lap-dancing clubs whatsoever; women constituted the majority of these respondents, though it was also evident that those over forty were less tolerant of lap-dancing clubs than younger people.

However, not all clubs were perceived to have similar impacts on their locality. Some clubs were judged to be better managed and less likely to be lowering the tone, primarily on the basis of their external appearance. Signage or club names that implied sexual connotations were more likely to attract comments and anxiety, while blacked out windows appeared to arouse suspicion and were thought to lend some clubs a sleazy appearance .

Dr Colosi said: Those viewed as 'sexualising the street are most likely to cause offence, and create fear among those already fearful of the city at night.'

A catalogue selling various products, including home furnishings, kitchenware and jewellery featured a number of ads for erotic books, including Brief Encounters: A Woman's Guide to Casual Sex, Shoot Your Own Adult Home Movies and Disciples of the Whip . The cover of each book was shown, some of which featured sexual imagery. Issue

A complainant challenged whether the ads were offensive and inappropriate in a catalogue that could be seen by children.

Premier Offers Direct said they marketed their catalogues to those who had opted in to receive further offers from them. The complainant received the catalogue because she previously purchased a product from the advertiser in 2009 and that, at the time, had opted in for additional offers from the advertiser and third parties. They also said that the catalogue to which the complainant responded also contained similar adult-related products and that, had she objected at the time, they would have suppressed her from future mailings. They did not believe that the pictures or content of the ads were offensive.

ASA Assessment: Complaint Upheld

The text that described each of the books was of a sexual nature and some of the covers featured sexual imagery. The ASA considered that such content was likely to cause offence when displayed in a medium that could be seen by children. We understood that the complainant had opted in to receive the catalogue. However, we were concerned that, by opting in, recipients were not made aware that they might receive sexually suggestive material as a result. Because the ad was addressed to general recipients and could therefore be seen by children we considered that it was irresponsibly targeted and concluded that it breached the Code.

The ad breached CAP rules 1.3 (Social responsibility) and 4.1 (Harm and offence). Action

The ad must not appear again. We told Premier Offers Direct not to include sexually provocative material in their catalogues in future, unless they were specifically targeted at recipients who had opted in to receive it.