Striptease sign 'makes Luton look like a den of iniquity' say furious residents - as council uses bin lorry to hide it from view

They say the sign on Guildford Street, promoting ‘topless poledancing’ and ‘sexy striptease’, for the After 8 Gentlemen’s Club, makes Luton look “like a den of iniquity”.

And a restaurant next to the hoarding says they have had to assure customers the club is nothing to do with them.

Francesco Basile, who only opened his Italian restaurant, Basile, in November, said: “It was a shock to be honest, how can they advertise a sex club next to a restaurant. I think it’s disgusting.

"I’ve never seen a board like that, I don’t understand why they allow it in Luton.”

John French of Red Radio says he has spoken to many people about the sign and has called for the council to take action.

He said: “I have witnessed numerous people looking in shock at this advertising and one person even told me of a small child reading it out loud and asking “what’s a striptease?”.

"I would be mortified if my child or grandchild asked such questions and whoever is responsible for agreeing to this should be ashamed.

“When so many hard-working people within the council, police and other organisations are working hard against sex trafficking and sexual violence, It is a slap in the face to them all.

"We do our best to promote Luton as a town on the up but this is the first thing many visitors will see.

"We all know these things happen but there’s no need to blatantly advertise such things, it's not morally correct.

"It’s making Luton look like the den of iniquity so many outsiders think it is.”

In a bid to avoid controversy during the Luton Jubilee parade, Luton Council arranged for a refuse lorry to be placed in front of the sign.

A spokesman for Luton Council said: “We are deeply alarmed by this advertising billboard and we are aware of at least one other in the town.

"We share the concerns of our faith communities and parents across the town who are rightly distressed by its message. Luton is a child-friendly town and such a billboard is totally inappropriate.

“We have contacted the owners of the hoardings and have also written a letter of complaint to the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) to express our dismay regarding their wording.

“We are exploring all avenues to have them removed. The council is only in a position to take direct action itself when a billboard has been positioned without planning consent. There are no records of planning consent for one of the boards and we have begun the enforcement process to actively investigate whether this is a breach of planning regulations If a site does have consent we will continue to apply pressure to the ASA and the owners of the billboard.

“The hoardings are a blot on the town and we are committed to doing all we can to have them taken down.”

A spokesman for Adnet Outdoor Marketing said that “all parties are working together to remedy this situation”.

The After 8 club on Upper George Street has been contacted for comment.

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