A LANDLORD has back-tracked on his decision to turn a pub into a strip club, after pressure from campaigners.

Pub owner Ken Linwood was given permission to host striptease shows and private lapdances at the White Hart Hotel in New Cross Road after Lewisham Council's decision to refuse the licence was overruled at Bromley Magistrates Court in January.

The reversal left nearby residents fuming, with some suggesting it could lead to the exploitation of women and even people trafficking.

Mr Linwood argued opening a strip club was the only way his business could survive.

But after pressure from campaign group Stop The Strip, which organised protests outside the New Cross pub, he has now turned the venue back into a regular pub.

Mr Linwood said: “I haven’t changed my mind about having a strip club. I’m just going to give it a chance as a pub now and see how it goes.

“I’ve had so much interference from local people and the council.

“They’re just a bunch of swear words and I’ve been victimised and harrassed by them.

“The ball is in their court now so lets see if they do come and use it now.

“If they don’t, then they don’t have no argument because I’m not going to go skint for them.”

Mr Linwood has now removed the dancing poles inside the pub and removed mirrors which blackened out the windows.

Stop The Strip campaigner Stephen Carrick-Davies says he hopes people will now go and use the pub.

He said: “We came together as residents saying we don’t want a strip club in our community.

“We had a principled campaign where we put out a leaflet to educate people on what was happening and held a perfectly legal and peaceful demonstration back in May.

“We are glad and delighted at Mr Linwood’s decision and I intend to go back down and use it as my local pub.”