West End strip club boss claims rival owner planted dancers 'in dirty tricks war' to drive him out of business

Platinum Lace club in Coventry Street , Soho
Alamy Stock Photo

A West End strip club orchestrated a “venomous” dirty-tricks campaign in an attempt to drive a rival lap dancing venue out of business, it was claimed today.

Simon Warr alleged dancers were planted at his club Platinum Lace to deliberately flout “no touching” rules.

He insisted the owners of rival lapdancing venue, SophistiCats, were behind a smear campaign, which included tabloid newspaper stories to pressure councillors into taking away Platinum Lace’s licence.

In a dossier presented to Westminster city council, Mr Warr claims the owners of SophistiCats have “set out with deliberation and venom, using underhand means, to put me out of business”.

He hired a private investigator who unearthed text messages between the men indicating they knew of a plot to “set up” Platinum Lace, it is said.

Simon Warr alleged dancers were planted at his club to deliberately flout “no touching” rules
Dave Benett

Mr Warr revealed his suspicions as he argued that SophistiCats, which bills itself as “London’s premier gentleman’s club”, should have its sexual entertainment licence removed due to the alleged conduct of its owners.

He claims a SophistiCats dancer known as Mindy was planted at the Platinum Lace club in Coventry Street in 2015 so that pictures could be taken of a customer groping her, in breach of strict rules. Mr Warr said CCTV showed two women, who he believed to be other SophistiCats workers, trying to “distract” the club’s security staff and prevent them from intervening. The incident later ended up in the tabloids.

“The evidence ... appears to me to demonstrate that the incident in December 2015 was orchestrated by [SophistiCats],” said Mr Warr in his witness statement to the council.

He said new “grossly exaggerated” complaints were made about his club in October 2016, and he believes the club was targeted again last year during its licence renewal process when they were accused of objectifying women.

Mr Warr claims that SophistiCats dancers were planted at the Platinum Lace club
SKY TV

“In every incident where a complaint has been reported, we have proven the alleged incidents to be fabricated, distorted or exaggerated and we now know who orchestrated the complaints,” said Mr Warr. He added: “I am only able to conclude that old-fashioned greed and dishonesty are the motivation behind their actions.” Mr Warr, who is a founder of the Lap Dancing Association, also claimed a third historic Soho strip club had fallen victim to an alleged smear campaign.

The Windmill lost its licence last year after dancers were accused of breaking no-touching rules. Its owner is fighting the decision in the courts. Mr Warr claims to have evidence that SophistiCats set out to discredit the Windmill.

Urging the council to not renew SophistiCats’ licence last month, he questioned if they were “fit and proper to be the licensees of, own or manage sexual entertainment venues in Westminster”. The council’s licensing subcommittee adjourned a February hearing until April to give SophistiCats time to respond.

The venue’s lawyer said it will fully defend these “late” allegations.

SophistiCats said it has not objected to the latest renewal of Platinum Lace’s licence. It added: “We are not prepared to make any further comment.”

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