Could closing Aberdeen strip clubs bring new dangers for dancers?

"We have the power to say no here," says strip club dancer 'Amy'.

Not her real name, Amy fears that steps that could phase out strip clubs in Aberdeen will move the industry underground and make it unsafe for those who work in it.

The city council agreed earlier this month to adopt a "presumption against" granting new licences, including for any replacement of an existing site should it close in the future.

Amy, who is in her early 30s, told BBC Scotland News she believed that if the clubs eventually close, it could become dangerous for the dancers.

One local group aimed at protecting women welcomed the move, on the grounds it supported measures to reduce and eliminate commercial exploitation.

Stripping is not illegal in Scotland, but is heavily regulated. Aberdeen has five sexual entertainment venues.

Amy has been a dancer at one of them for more than a year.

"I love pole dancing," she explained. "It's just fun. It gives me confidence."

Amy said women from every kind of background worked at the club.

"We're all somebody's sister, some of us are people's mums, she said. "Some of us have businesses. Some of us are students."

"I've never felt unsafe in this club," Amy said.

"I think it would be more unsafe if you took away the rules and regulations.

"It's never going to go away, but being able to do it in a safe place, that can go away - if you took away that safety, it absolutely would go underground.

"That's when it does become dangerous for the girls, as we don't have the safety net. If you took away the rules and regulations that allow us to say no it becomes dangerous."

Local councils have the power to limit the number of clubs in their area through licensing.

Under the new rules, existing clubs can continue to submit applications to renew their licences.

However if they change ownership or close for any reason, they will likely not be replaced.

In 2023, a ban on lap dancing clubs in Edinburgh that was due to come into force was overturned, after a group of club owners and performers launched a legal challenge.

Tony Cochrane owns two strip clubs in Aberdeen, and described the decision as coming "out of the blue".

He claimed the new rules were a "moral crusade as opposed to a safety issue".

He said: "It was a bit of a shocker for us, we had no idea this was coming.

"We purchased this building, we spent lots of money refurbishing it, knowing that if we kept a good clean operation we should be able to keep going, and if we wanted to sell it on in the future we could do.

"But they are trying to stop it so the licence stops with you. Which basically means that the business has zero value and that could be a major problem in the future."

Cochrane echoed the fears that the industry would just move underground as a result.

He said that during the Covid lockdown, when clubs had to close, people would instead approach the girls and ask for private events.

"That's just an example of what would happen if these places closed."

The move has been welcomed by the Aberdeen Violence Against Women and Girls Partnership (VAWGP).

"This position aligns with that adopted by the VAWGP that sexual entertainment venues are a form of commercial sexual exploitation, which is incompatible with gender equality and contributes to the objectification of women," a spokesperson said.

"The partnership supports measures that reduce and ultimately eliminate commercial sexual exploitation."

The city council said the decision was a matter of public safety.

Councillor Steve Delaney said the committee felt that times had changed.

"What might have been classed as acceptable entertainment, many people think differently of nowadays," he said.

"We're not trying to put anybody out of business. Any change will happen over time. It's just a case of the world has changed and we feel it's time."

Aberdeen's strip clubs have not had their last dance quite yet.

However the change to the rules means their days are now numbered.