London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 17, 2026

London Selfridges fights plan for strip club opposite entrance

London Selfridges fights plan for strip club opposite entrance

Selfridges is battling proposals to open a strip club directly opposite one of the entrances to its London store.

The retailer has objected to an application to turn an existing club in Duke Street into a bar offering "full nudity", striptease and pole-dancing.

The company behind the proposed club told Westminster's licensing committee it would be discrete, but Selfridges said it "has no place here".

A decision is expected to be made by Westminster City Council this week.

Electshow Ltd, which ran lap dancing venue the Mayfair Club in Dover Street, applied to turn the existing Blush club into a strip club which would operate between 21:00 and 06:00 BST from Monday to Saturday.

The Mayfair Club closed in December when the lease ran out, and company director Wahid Mekhaiel has said he wants to transfer his sexual entertainment licence to the Duke Street premises, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.


Selfridges argued a strip club "has no place" in the area


Craig Baylis, speaking for Mr Mekhaiel, told the committee the current nightclub was already operating without affecting Selfridges, and the planned strip club would be open "at totally different times" to the department store.

But Philip Kolvin QC, for Selfridges, told the meeting the store had been working to make the area more "family orientated" by building a 20,000 sq ft (1,858 sq m) toy shop and a cinema in Duke Street.

"This proposal for a lap dancing club is entirely inimical to the character of this area. It has no place here," he said.

Local businesses, residents and the Met Police were also among the objectors to the plans.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Tech Companies Want to Move Computing Off Your Screen and Onto Your Body
White House Teleprompter Operator Earned More Than $100,000 From Bets Linked to the President's Speeches
UK Government Faces Pressure Over Extreme Heat Workplace Rules
Lewisham Council Blocks Cooperation With Home Office Immigration Enforcement
UK Parliament Investigates Growing Pressures on Scotch Whisky Industry
Teen Hackers Sentenced Over Thirty-Nine Million Pound Transport for London Cyber Attack
Ministry of Defence Acquires Scottish Fuel Terminal to Strengthen Royal Navy Operations
Bank of England Eases Rules as Economic Growth Remains Weak
Bank of England Governor Warns Andy Burnham on Britain’s Long Economic Stagnation
UK Defence Ministry Buys Scottish Fuel Terminal to Secure Naval Energy Supplies
UK Secures Access to European Defence Contracts Through Ukraine Support Deal
Bank of England Plans Easier Capital Rules to Encourage More Lending
Met Office Says England and Wales Have Already Broken Summer Heat Records
Counter-Terrorism Police Lead Investigation Into Murder of Former Minister Ann Widdecombe
UK Government Nationalises British Steel to Protect Domestic Steel Production
French National Assembly Overrides Senate to Pass Historic Assisted-Dying Legislation
Spanish Prime Minister's Wife Ordered to Stand Trial as Corruption Probes Encircle Governing Party
Zelensky Faces Kyiv Protests Over Ousting of Dynamic Ukrainian Defense Minister
Colombia Influencer Dies After Cosmetic Procedure at Unlicensed Bogota Salon
Thomas Tuchel Faces Fierce Backlash After Tactical Retreat Costs England World Cup Final Berth
A Quiet Bastille Day: France Grapples with World Cup Heartbreak and Leftover Fireworks
Canadian Wildfire Crisis Triggers Transnational Air Quality Alerts Ahead of Soccer Finale
UK Housing Reform Debate Intensifies Over Tenant Protection Measures
UK Defence Official Challenges Russian Narrative on NATO Readiness and European Security
UK Names Independent Member to Judicial Pension Board to Strengthen Oversight
UK Parliamentary Committee Sets New Framework for Select Committee Leadership Roles
UK Government Pushes Energy Savings Through School Solar Expansion Plan
UK Committee Reviews Future of Gaelic Broadcasting and Language Support
UK Government Expands Industrial Skills Support in Wales as Steel Sector Faces Change
UK Rejects Russian Claims That European Defence Spending Is Aggressive
UK Schools and Gaelic Broadcasting Among Areas Reviewed in New Parliamentary Inquiries
UK Housing Committee Calls for Stronger Tenant Protections Under Rental Reform Plans
UK Government Faces Pressure for Stronger Oversight After South East Water Failings Report
UK Parliament Opens Inquiry Into Safety of Women and Girls on Public Transport
UK Defence Ministry Appoints Interim Chief Defence Medical Officer During Transition Period
UK Government Announces Five Million Pound Skills Programme for Young People in Port Talbot
UK Government Launches Solar Programme to Cut Energy Costs for Schools
Met Office Warns Extreme Weather Is Becoming More Common Across the UK
UK Government Faces Internal Debate Over New Chancellor Appointment Under Andy Burnham
Andy Burnham Set to Become UK Prime Minister After Keir Starmer’s Resignation
UK Economy Grows Slightly in May as Supply Chain Disruptions Continue to Weigh on Industry
British Steel Moves Into UK Public Ownership to Protect Domestic Steel Production and Jobs
Spain in Ecstasy: "We Feel Unbeatable, We Taught the Whole World a Lesson"
Spain and UK Dismantle Gibraltar Border Following Landmark Schengen Integration Treaty
Church of England Rejects Plan to Rewild Thirty Percent of Land by 2030
UK Parliament Examines Future of Gaelic Broadcasting in Scotland
Thames Water Faces Criticism Over Four Million Pounds in Bonus Payments
South East Water Crisis Puts UK Water Regulation Under Renewed Scrutiny
UK Report Highlights Racial Inequality in Homelessness Support Services
UK Government Defends Proposed Social Media Curfew for Teenagers Despite Criticism
×