Go-ahead for adult entertainment at club which lost lap-dancing licence
AFORMER strip club which lost its licence 20 months ago has won permission to hold performances of a sexual nature again, despite objections from police and council officials.
Jack of Diamonds in Old Market, Bristol, was granted consent to hold up to 11 events a year but must notify Avon & Somerset Constabulary and the city’s licensing authority each time.
Licensing sub-committee members gave the go-ahead despite hearing from police representatives that the venue in West Street, which has operated as a nightclub since the council refused to renew its lap-dancing licence in April, 2017, was ‘in the last chance saloon’ following previous breaches of its licence.
Bristol City Council licensing officer Andy Lyle told the meeting: “I’m quite happy for it to be run as a late-night venue but I’m not happy for adult entertainment.
“The troubled history of the premises as a sexual entertainment venue causes me concerns if the premises were to be allowed to have adult entertainment.
“Due to a number of serious breaches of the previous licence, this licence was revoked in 2017,” he said.
Avon & Somerset Constabulary licensing officer Louise Mowbray said: “Police would have concerns that these breaches weren’t learned from.
“There has been a chequered past at the premises.”
She said club owner Adam Dulmeer was ‘aware we’re almost at the last chance saloon’.
Mr Dulmeer’s solicitor, Ewen Macgregor, told councillors the law allowed any licensed premises to “provide entertainment of a sexual nature” up to 11 times a year with- out the need for a sex entertainment licence, as long as the events were less frequent than once a month and for a maximum of 100 people.
Council officer Abigail Holman told members they could override that permission, but the sub-committee decided to allow it on condition that the venue notifies the police and licensing authority in advance.
The club lost its right to hold sexual entertainment after police saw staff inappropriately putting ice down a customer’s trousers on stage during a stag do in early 2017.
A report to the city council’s licensing sub-committee at the time outlined police concerns that the club was breaching regulations.
It had permission for pole-dancing, table-dancing and fully naked stripteases.
But an officer spotted contact between a performer and a customer, which was forbidden, during a routine inspection.
The incident was among police concerns that led to the sub-committee to revoke its licence in April, 2017.