THE owner of Hammersmith lap dancing club Secrets has launched a passionate defence of his business and insisted it benefits the area.

Some neighbours objected to the recent annual renewal of the Glenthorne Road establishment's licence, claiming the club is a source of anti-social behaviour and is ‘inappropriate’ for the area.

But Stephen Less, who took over the building in 1997, has hit back, and says the majority of people, as well as the police and council, see the business as a positive. He insisted the club:

* Helps the local economy and has employed more than 1,000 people since it opened

* Has benefited from thousands of pounds worth of investment since he took over

* Has tight security and does not let in ‘lager louts’

* Assists the police in catching criminals through its CCTV system

* Is not the source of fights and broken bottles on the pavement

* Encourages ‘high-end’ nights out, as well as women customers - and is far from seedy

Mr Less said: “We have a good relationship with 99 per cent of our neighbours and we have never really had any complaints. I think four people wrote to the council objecting - but if we were a real problem, hundreds would have written in.”

The owner said some neighbours were confused over the recent application - for the annual renewal of its sexual entertainment licence - which looked like the club was applying to open at 10am.

“Historically, the licence has always allowed us to open in the day but we never have,” he said. “In the licensing meeting we were asked, in the spirt of good neighbourliness, whether we would have the option removed, and of course we agreed.” The venue opens at 8pm.

A London club owner for over 40 years, Mr Less said the fights, vomiting and broken bottles mentioned by a small minority of neighbours were nothing to do with Secrets.

“There are other pubs and restaurants on this road,” he said. “We don’t attract large groups of men drinking lager - we don’t even sell bottles over the counter. We are not the sort of place that allows violence or wants to be associated with it - we are a high-end night out and employ very strict security. We have very staggered exits of very small groups of people.

“Far from objecting to us, the police even come to us to catch criminals because we have so many cameras outside. When I took over this place, it was dreadful. It was a gay pub with loud disco music, drugs, condoms on the pavement. I bought it for £500,000 and have spent the same renovating it. It’s unrecognisable from before.”

The perception of the club held by some is also wrong, says Mr Less. “Have any of these people been to Secrets? It is not seedy at all. We get many women here on a night out - in fact we encourage it.”

Mr Less admits he can see why some see Hammersmith as a ‘strange’ place in which to operate one of six branches of Secrets, but said: “It may be, but so what? I’m proud of what we have achieved, not least our employment of nearly 1,000 people and allowing hundreds of girls a well-paid job enabling them to feed their families.

“We have probably the strictest code of conduct of any London table dancing business.”