THE owner of a Hereford nightclub which has introduced a new weekend lap dancing session says the event is intended to be 'fun, not sleazy'.

Steven Harrison, owner of The Venue on Gaol Street, also said the same event has been happening at the club every Thursday night for 14 years without issue.

The club announced the change of night on Facebook early last week and though many commenters showed their support, administrators did have to counter some negative comments which claimed lap dancing was 'trashy'.

Mr Harrison said: "For the last 14 years we have been doing it every Thursday night without issue. It's been a low attendance of 80 to 100 people and it's worked really well.

"Because it was Thursday and a school night we thought we would do it on a Friday as more people are out and it's worked really well. We've virtually doubled our numbers."

There is a strict entry policy of over 21s, with lap dancing taking place in a private area so that the club is generally the same as any other for those who don't want to take part.

"In Hereford on a Friday there's a lot more audience out there that might be up for it," Mr Harrison said.

"We have had an absolutely positive response. We've had a couple of comments from someone saying it's sleazy but that's it.

"We do free entry for girls. There are girls that have lap dances themselves. It's meant to be fun, it's not sleazy or dirty it's meant to be fun.

"People can come into the main part of the club and it's just like a normal club – there's nothing out of the ordinary."