Strip club still 'alive and kicking'

Jul 13 2006 By David Bell, Birmingham Mail

BIRMINGHAM'S first lap dancing club has been visited by receivers but today issued a "we're still alive and kicking" message.

Legs 11 sent out a "business as usual" message after its management company went into administration.

The setback was blamed on losses on the company's business in Broad Street, Merchant Stores, which was refused a lap dance licence and then relaunched as a Scruffy Duffy live rock venue.

"It was unsuccessful and we lost money every week we ran it," explained Legs 11's Metin Yusuf. "The sale of the Broad Street property should be going through tomorrow although the price has been drastically reduced. But day by day it has just dug us into a hole."

Mr Yusuf insisted that despite growing competition his Legs 11 club in Chinatown - now being run through a holding company - was successful.

"We were the first lap dancing club in Birmingham and have just celebrated our tenth birthday.

"A lot of people have jumped on the bandwagon since Birmingham got the reputation of being the lap dancing capital of the country and people came from all over the world.

"There are 50 to 60 lap dancing clubs in the Midlands and about ten in the city. Competition has got a lot hotter but Legs 11 is doing quite well."

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