A LEGAL loophole means that lap dance clubs share the same licence as cafes or restaurants.

Yet lap dancing establishments offer entertainment which is clearly far more than a coffee and a chat, and more similar to that of sex cinemas or peep shows.

The loophole has allowed lap dance clubs to open more or less anywhere they choose, and has made it very difficult for local councils or local communities to have a say in this.

For example, if a lap dance club were to open near my workplace, I would have no say in the licensing process unless I also happened to live within 100-200m of the proposed venue.

However, you do not have to live on the doorstep of a lap dance club to be affected by it - they normalise seeing women as sex objects, undermine gender equality and can create 'no go' areas for women.

This affects us all – women and men, and young people.

For these reasons, I welcome the Government's consultation with local councils on the issue, including the proposal to close the loophole and re-categorise lap dance clubs as sex encounter establishments – venues where visual entertainment for sexual stimulation takes place.

This will give our local council the same licensing powers as applies to sex shops, peep shows and sex cinemas and will give our community more of a say in deciding how many, and where, lap dance clubs are licensed in our area.

I, therefore, urge our local council to use the consultation to call for re-categorisation of lap dance clubs on our behalf.