Legal ‘loopholes’ land in YOUR lap, Mrs Waltho!

11:05am Wednesday 2nd July 2008

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I WAS most interested to read the article entitled, 'Sleaze on the High Street' in the Daily Mail on Saturday where Stourbridge's answer to Stringfellow's (Heaven Gentlemens Club, Lower High Street) was featured.

It is understood that Heaven will soon be accompanied by the salubriously named 'Barbarella's' pole dancing facility which will have 50 'dancers' and a giant American style stage nestled in the former Picture House nightclub.

I was even more interested to read in the Mail's article that local Labour P Lynda Waltho, states that the weaknesses and loopholes in the law that allow these establishments to be forced on us are "infuriating her constituents".

She hopes that Stourbridge "would be famous for other things, not being known as the Soho of the Black Country".

Ms Waltho is quite correct, but fails to point out the most interesting aspect of this whole debacle - that it was New Labour's 2003 Licensing Act that brought about these weaknesses and loopholes with a badly drafted piece of legislation! Given the current political swing and the fact that the potential for her to retain her Stourbridge seat could be debatable in what the Mail describes a 'solidly middle class' town, I wonder if it may be better for Ms Waltho if we do have a further lap dancing club, given the increased employment opportunities it will bring...!

M Rogers, Norton