Lap dance club boss dismisses rumours

The manager of a Black Country lap dancing club blamed by an MP for turning a town into the "Soho of the Black Country", says that business is booming.

Alistair Rose has moved to scotch rumours the Heaven club in Lower High Street, Stourbridge, is closing down.

He said that the club was regularly full of customers from as far afield as Hereford, Worcester, Wolverhampton and Birmingham. Mr Rose stressed that the club is doing a roaring trade with customers travelling from far and wide.

Mr Rose recently received a letter from Dudley Council planning bosses which stated a large advertising sign at the back of the premises, which could be clearly seen from the ring road, was in breach of regulations.

He said the board had been up for two years but had now gone, fuelling rumours of closure.

"I took the board down to comply with planning regulations," he added.

Mr Rose stressed the club is doing a roaring trade with customers travelling from far and wide.

He said: "We get clientele from Stourbridge and the surrounding areas, as well as those who travel from Hereford and Worcester and the other side of Birmingham and Wolverhampton.

"The club appeals to a more exclusive clientele."

Mr Rose, who is also secretary of the Pubwatch scheme, said complaints to police were few and far between.

Stourbridge MP Lynda Waltho is currently campaigning for councils to be able to class lap dancing clubs as Sex Encounter Establishments in the same way as sex shops or cinemas.

She fears Stourbridge will become known as the "Soho of the Black Country".

The lap dancing club was also recently fined £1,500 with £250 costs by Dudley Council for fly posting.

But Mr Rose said the incident dated back more than two years, before he became manager in November 2006.