PERFORMERS at a lap dancing club in Weymouth have walked out due to the enforcement of 'strict' rules about performances and how close dancers can get to customers.

It has led to licensing officers from Weymouth and Portland Borough Council amending conditions in the licence for Peekaboo's to make it easier for the club to operate within the rules.

The council's licensing sub-committee met to consider the renewal of a Sex Establishment Licence for Peekaboo's (formerly Goldfingers) in New Street.

A report said the premises has been operating in breach of its licence conditions.

The club was originally granted a licence in 2010 when it was operated by Parviz Marseh. In September 2016, the premises were transferred to Duncan Meyer.

A complaint was received in May this year from a member of the public alleging the club was breaching conditions.

Council and police licensing officers visited Peekaboo's in June and viewed CCTV footage from two randomly-selected dates.

The report said it was clear conditions were being breached regarding no physical contact, the one-metre distance rule between dancers and the audience, and rules preventing dancers climbing on furniture and sitting on a customer's lap (dry ride).

Another visit in July showed conditions were being breached, although a notice had been put up reminding dancers of the rules.

Mr Meyer complained at a follow-up meeting with the council that other neighbouring authorities did not have the one-metre rule, although he conceded other rules had been breached at the club.

He said was no longer employing dancers who were not obeying the rules, while other performers had decided to leave.

It was requested by Mr Meyer and agreed by officers that alternative conditions be included in the licence which remove the physical contact and one metre rules. This would make compliance more achievable.

At the committee meeting, councillors heard from Mr Meyer's solicitor Philip Day who told how the club had been affected by the one-metre rule and other conditions which were being enforced.

He said: "Many of the women have worked in this establishment for many years. They have always performed in this particular manner, getting closer than one metre and putting a foot up on the furniture. That has been going on for years and no one has complained about it.

"There were 15 different ladies working at this establishment, some working in similar clubs in Southampton and Bournemouth where the rules are different.

"A couple of ladies declined to follow Mr Meyer's new regime and Mr Meyer has had to dispense with their services, others have left. There are now about five women working there.

"Weymouth and Portland have strict rules. Customers have an expectation and when they don't get what they expect they don't tip and they don't come back.

"The ladies who are performing are perfectly happy to get closer than one metre, they work there because they choose to do so."

Chairing the meeting, Cllr Pam Nixon raised her concerns about the rules not being prominently displayed in the premises.

Mr Meyer explained the rules have always been available but are now in more prominent locations.

Mr Meyer said: "I have owned these premises for just over a year and it's my first. My knowledge is still growing. I am very new to this but I truly am working as hard as I can. We are only open two days a week so I am limited to how much I can get done in a month."

The committee granted the licence for three months to allow Mr Meyer to prove that he can run the establishment in accordance with the amended schedule of conditions.