Lap-dancing club merger

Three lap-dancing club tycoons are planning a £100m merger, it has emerged.

Stephen Less, founder of Secrets, which has six venues, Glenn Nicie, who runs For Your Eyes Only, also with six clubs, and nightclub legend Peter Stringfellow, with two, are in talks to merge this year.

The deal would create one of Europe's biggest lapdancing chains and the three aim to float the combined business on the stock market in 2012.

Less said: "We are talking about creating a £100m-plus company to operate across Britain and become Europe's largest chain.

"Once this has been completed we will be looking for a major investor to take the company global before listing on the stock market."

Less, who is leading the planned merger, is looking to compete directly with Spearmint Rhino, the world's largest chain of lap-dancing venues.

Meanwhile, lap-dancing club owners are monitoring the outcome of laws that came into operation in April. Clubs are now classed as sex establishments and local residents may oppose venues for being "inappropriate".