A SUNDAY afternoon lap dancing club could tarnish the reputation of Crook, it is claimed.

From this weekend, The Circuit pub, in Hope Street, will stage the events, despite complaints from people living nearby.

For £5 or £10, customers can have a lap dance in private behind a screen separating them from the rest of the pub.

The Circuit's landlord, Richard Chwieseni, also the landlord of Bar 56 next door, will run the monthly event under an entertainments licence granted by Wear Valley District Council last year.

But religious and civic leaders have criticised the plans, saying the town's reputation would suffer as a result.

The Reverend Bill Middlemiss, superintendent minister of the Crook and Willington Methodist Church, is minister at Hope Street Methodist Church, in nearby New Road.

He said: "This does not do the image of the town much good. It is not something I would like or enjoy, nor something I would support. And that goes for my congregation too."

"In fact, with it being at The Circuit, that is towards the centre of town and adjacent to many churches in the middle of Crook."

An initial application for an entertainments licence was refused by district councillors last year, after complaints from people living in Crook town centre that extra noise and nuisance would be created.

But Bishop Auckland magistrates agreed to grant the licence on appeal, if Mr Chwieseni installed sound-proofing and employed a minimum of door staff agreed by the police.

Councillor Eddie Tomlinson, ward member for Crook, also expressed concern about the lap dancing events.

He said: "I must say I find it a little disturbing. All the council can do is monitor the place and make sure the licence isn't breached in any way."

Mr Chwieseni's daughter, Rachael, who works at Bar 56, said that the Sunday night event would be the first of its kind in Crook.

She said: "The whole event will be recorded using closed-circuit television cameras to ensure everything goes smoothly. We will have four girls there with the chance for individuals to have private dance for £5 or £10. For this we had to have the full entertainments licence.