A lap dancing club caught allowing dancers to kiss and touch customers blamed clumsy strippers FALLING on the men.
CCTV showed three dancers getting closer than permitted in the private booths area of Temptations in Bristol – run by Valerie HOARE.
Other footage showed a dancer sitting on a customer’s lap, a performer touching a man’s leg and a stripper giving a customer a kiss while he had his hands on her bottom.
The club was prosecuted for breaching its sexual entertainment venue licence which states customers and performers are not allowed to touch each other.
But solicitors defending the club claimed they only came into contact because some of the more clumsy dancers “over-balanced” while they were teasing customers.
Defending, Tony Daniel said: “It’s got to be reminded that these performers are skilled. Some are more skilled than others.
“By their very nature they are endeavouring to tease and titillate the customer. Some who are not quite so skilled can, in situations, over-balance and get too close.
“The incidents are momentary – they are not lasting.”
Prosecuting at Bristol Magistrates Court, Sally Andrews said: “The footage from all three cameras showed extensive and repeated contact between customers and performers.”
T3 Temptations Ltd was fined a total of £11,500 for five breaches, plus £4,905 legal costs and a £120 victim surcharge.
Manager Hoare, 36, of Bristol, admitted breaches relating to a faulty light and smoking area was also ordered to pay £1,550.
The company admitted failing to show due diligence in making sure its licence was complied with, allowing licensable activities to take place when an emergency light to the exit was not working, failing to exhibit its licence on the premises, not fitting an automatic closing device to external entrance doors and allowing performers and the audience to share a smoking area.
