Strip club licence renewal petition signed by hundreds

An open letter and petition supporting Sheffield strip club Spearmint Rhino’s licence renewal has been signed by more than 600 people.

The letter calls for the adult entertainment venue’s licence to be renewed by Sheffield City Council for 2019. It is currently located on Brown Street.

At the time of writing, 631 people had signed the letter, which stipulates that it is supporting the rights of sex industry workers to work in a safer and better regulated environment.

The licence is currently being considered by the council, according to the BBC. Campaigners against the strip club business have been putting pressure on the council to close down the site.

Zero Option Sheffield presented evidence from private investigations of alleged sex acts performed by Spearmint Rhino employees to the council earlier this month.

The letter on Organise.org said: “Spearmint Rhino’s workers deserve agency over their bodies and economic security. We support their rights and freedom to choose and call upon the council to renew the license, including any additional measures which have been put in place to ensure the safety of the workers…

“We therefore call upon the council to renew the 2019 licence for Spearmint Rhino, like you did in 2018, and to consult with the workers there about whether there should be additional license requirements attached to the licence which would ensure their health and safety.”