Strippers at Sheffield's Spearmint Rhino broke rules with 'sex acts'

Dancers at Sheffield's Spearmint Rhino performed sex acts and breached more than 200 regulations, a damning report has found.
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An inquiry by Sheffield City Council found evidence of 'sexual touching of customers by dancers', 'sexual touching between dancers', plus sex acts performed by dancers upon themselves and with each other.

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The report said the club's code of conduct rules had been broken 145 times and licence conditions had also been breached on 74 occasions.

Spearmint Rhino. Spearmint Rhino.
Spearmint Rhino.
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The authority based its findings on footage captured in February during undercover visits initiated by campaign group Not Buying It.

They also took into account witness statements made by two private investigators who gathered the video evidence.

The authority concluded six strippers had broken the rules numerous times during eight separate dances.

The report found 'no evidence' that management was aware of the breaches but added: "Given the nature and extent of the breaches, Sheffield City Council Licensing Service has concerns over the apparent level of management control at the establishment particularly considering the conditions imposed upon the licence.

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"Therefore, SCCLS is referring the investigation report to the licensing sub-committee on the grounds of applicant suitability."

The report adds that management have since implemented an action plan to ensure further breaches do not take place.

Meanwhile, council officers have pledged to continue to make unannounced inspections of the venue each month.

They will also review CCTV.

The club, on Brown Street, is the only licensed sexual entertainment venue in Sheffield and has been open for 16 years.

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In June, dancers and supporters held a protest defending the strip club amid fears of its closure.

Employees claimed the licensing restrictions have become more strict every year in an effort to ‘squeeze them out’.

One stripper, a mum-of-two, said the undercover filming left dancers feeling "violated" and they had faced a lot of online abuse.

Details of the investigation feature in documents due to go before the licensing sub-committee.

Councillors are due to decide wether to renew the venue's sexual entertainment licence at a meeting on September 16.

Spearmint Rhino has been asked for comment and we are waiting for a reply.