A CLUB featuring male lap dancers entertaining 400 women at a time would be one club too many for Blackpool.

Police are objecting to a full licence for the Wicked club, in which up to 15 male dancers would give a main show and also private sessions with female customers.

A former business partner of one of the co-owners has also objected. Wicked in Chapel Street has already had £200,000 spent on it. Richard Howarth, for the club, said only women would be admitted to Wicked.

Mr Howarth said: "This is a new and unique venture in Blackpool. It is submitted there is a need for these sort of premises in Blackpool, for those who come here and those who live here."

The club would take a maximum of 400 women customers and employ 10 to 15 male lap dancers. The dancers, dressed in fancy outfits, would dance and encourage women onto the dance floor and also engage them in conversation. Every hour or so the dancers would give a show in the main room. There would also be a private room with booths where women could go and pay £5 for a private dance.

Richard Evans, the 41-year-old co-owner of the club, told justices: "It would be a feel-good fun place for girls to go. There were surveys which showed there was a need for it and seemed to show that what is good for the goose is good for the gander.

"We would follow the council guidelines on nudity. There would be no full nudity. The lap dancers would wear boxer shorts or thongs. CCTV cameras will also monitor the private room for security. Training started two weeks ago. Twice a week the lap dancers are trained by a professional choreographer."

Mr Evans said there would be a £5 entry fee and he envisaged about fifty per cent of the club's business would be hen parties. There would be no buy one drink, get a drink free nights.

He said: "We had begun to renovate the property when, four or five weeks ago, I was shown an article which stated police were going to object to new licences because they believed there was saturation in the town."

The police are objecting to a full "on" alcohol licence for the club on the following grounds -- Blackpool is already well catered for with licensed premises. There are already in excess of 150 similar licensed premises and 83 of these have been granted late licences.

The town is saturated with licensed premises and as a result problems are being experienced. Increasing competition between premises is leading; to cheap drinks promotions, which in turn lead to an increase in anti-social behaviour and violent incidents.

Over the past few years there has been a decline in visitors to the town, particularly families who choose to stay away due to the fact that Blackpool has become synonymous with stag and hen parties.

The granting of a new licence would increase the potential for incidents of anti-social behaviour, nuisance and disorder.

The granting of a new licence would increase the burden on police resources in the town, affecting the level of service that can be provided to the public.

Private objector, Julian Aspinall, a former partner of Mr Evans in the Blackpool nightclub Insomnia, also objected to Mr Evans being granted the licence.

Mr Aspinall told the hearing: "Mr Evans is not honest or trustworthy." He alleged Mr Evans had removed money from Insomnia's takings without telling him.

Blackpool licensing justices adjourned the part-heard hearing to June 10 when they are expected to hear detailed objections from the police and then make a decision on whether to grant the licence.