THE woman who wants to open East Lancashires first lap-dancing bar has revealed it will have male dancers, too.

Georgia Elliott, licensee at Cubes nightclub in Duke Street, Blackburn, had applied to Blackburn with Darwen Council's licensing committee for an amendment to her public entertainment licence so it can become a lap-dance bar.

It would be called Velvet Lounge.

At a meeting last night, police said they would not object to the application, as long as an over-21s policy was slapped on who could enter the bar, which will open from 5pm Wednesday to Sunday.

PC Steve Finlay, the police's licensing officer, said this was because police were concerned about the location of the lap-dance venue, between Blackburn College and the Connexions youth advice centre.

Ms Elliott replied: "I can't understand how we can have dancers who are 18 and 19 but only allow men in over the age of 21.

"What do I do if a group of three 30-year-olds turn up with an 18 year-old? Turn them all away?"

Her legal representative, Anthony Lyons, added: "I doubt it will be an attraction for people in their late teens, simply because it will be pricey. A bottle of Stella will cost £3.75.

"But at the same time, if they want to experience it, why stop them? The bar there already is allowed to serve 18-year-olds, and much better to have sensible 18-year-olds than nonsensical 23-year-olds.

"Georgia has been working with venues in Manchester to see how things are done and, by and large, it is the over-25s who use them."

The meeting was told that male and female strippers would perform.

The strippers would be self employed but would have to show their passports to get work. The lap-dancers earn, on average, £1,000 a week and Ms Elliott said that many 18 and 19-year-olds used it to pay for university.

She also pledged to ensure the venue was discreet and respectable. There would be no photos on the walls outside the club, and Mr Lyons said:"There won't be staff dragging people in off the streets. It will be a discreet venue for people to use if they want to."

The licensing committee was to announce today if it would permit the changes to the licence.