Nottingham strip club says it’s not chasing students after trying to lower entry age to 18

A Nottingham strip club has said its not targeting students after attempting to lower the venue’s entry age to 18.

Flirtz, on Friar Lane in the city centre has asked Nottingham City Council to calm restrictions on its operations.

According to the BBC, the changes its requested are extending opening hours, allowing fewer security staff, allowing full nudity in parts of the venue, and dropping the minimum age from 21 to 18. These changes are set to be approved by the council at a meeting today (24th September).

However, Nottingham Police has raised concerns about lowering the entry age.

A spokesperson said: “For some of these students, university life is the first time away from their family home, and as such they can often be socially immature.

“Permitting these individuals access to a premises that will potentially offer full nudity adult entertainment causes the police concern.”

Whilst the police acknowledged that it was up to the council, it said it believed those under 21 should not be allowed in full nudity areas, and that a stronger Challenge 25 policy should be introduced.

Despite these concerns, Flirtz’s owner, Amanda Cropper explained that the club has proven itself to be “decent”, and has kept its license since 2007.

She told the BBC: “We have a lot of stag groups in summer that are in their 30s and 40s and often there’s a lad under 21 with them. It’s hard to turn them away but we have to.

“We are simply asking for the city to allow us to operate under the same rules as every other club in the UK, including cities populated by students.

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“Being there almost 20 years and having had less than a handful of incidents in that time, we have more than proved we are capable of running this venue.”

She continued by saying: “As good as the students are for the city, they are certainly not our target audience.”

The BBC spoke to a number of students who had differing views on the potential lowering of age.

Charlotte Yates, 19, said: “I thought every club was 18 anyway to be honest. It’s up to people what they do with their lives, I’m not too bothered by it,” with Ella Wood, 21, adding: “I feel like young people need to be young – at 18 you’re technically an adult but enjoy being a teenager instead of rushing into things older people do.”

However, a third student, Jessica Woodall, 21, said: “I didn’t even know there was a strip club in Nottingham. Maybe they’re trying to lower the age limit to attract people but I don’t think strip clubs are a great environment for 18-year-olds to be in.

“I think we’ve moved on, it’s kind of an old-fashioned thing, men going to strip clubs – I think there’s a shift in younger people.”

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