A LAP-dancing club which was raided in a drugs bust has had its licence suspended.

Red Velvet, County Durham’s only strip club – above a chip shop in Consett, was raided on Friday night, while dancers performed.

Today (Tuesday, December 18), an emergency Durham County Council licensing meeting suspended its licence until a full review hearing next month.

Club owner Sonny Gill could appeal. However, it seems the venue will be closed for Christmas.

Inspector Colin Dobson, head of Durham Constabulary’s Alcohol Harm Reduction Unit, said he would now focus on getting the licence revoked in January.

Councillors heard among seven arrested over the weekend were the club’s Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS), its ‘house mother’, who was responsible for the dancers, and two dancers.

The dancers have been cautioned. The house mother and DPS were bailed pending further enquiries. No further action is being taken against the other three.

Sergeant Tim Robson said Red Velvet was home to serious criminal activity.

Drug dealing had been identified several times during the last six months and staff acted as a drug dealing group, he said.

During the raid, the house mother was found with two bags of cocaine in her purse and ten in her handbag and bags suspected of having contained cocaine were found in the dancers’ changing room, Sgt Robson added.

The police applied for some evidence to be taken behind closed doors, saying airing it in public could jeopardise a sensitive ongoing criminal investigation.

However, panel chairman Councillor Colin Carr refused.

Sarah Smith, for Mr Gill, said Red Velvet’s house mother and dancers were self-employed, with dancers paying £10 each, plus between 10 and 20 per cent of their evening’s earnings, to dance at the club and the house mother receiving £10 from each dancer to manage them.

Mr Gill had an exemplary track record and Red Velvet had recently been named runner-up in the Best Bar None awards for responsible premises, she added.

Mr Gill was extremely shocked and horrified at the raid, had suspended the DPS, launched an internal investigation, barred the house mother and two dancers arrested and begun a complete review of operating procedures, Mrs Smith continued.

He was prepared to suspend lap dancing and remain at Red Velvet whenever it was open, she said.

However, Coun Carr said a licence suspension was necessary and appropriate.

Afterwards, Mrs Smith said Mr Gill was disappointed, but confident his review would address the issues raised.