OXFORD’s only lapdancing club is wasting taxpayers’ cash in an ongoing licence battle, critics have said.

Oxford Feminist Network said it backed Oxford City Council’s decision to refuse The Lodge Gentleman’s Club in Oxpens Road a sex entertainment licence.

And it said it was concerned over the type of contracts used by the club to employ its workers.

The Lodge was forced to close in June when the city council refused to renew its entertainment licence, despite granting one a year earlier.

Owner Al Thompson took his fight to the High Court, but Mister Justice Haddon-Cave decided in favour of the council.

Mr Thompson, who spent £10,000 refurbishing the venue, has now applied to the Court of Appeal to review the matter.

The club has since re-opened pending the appeal.

A spokeswoman for Oxford Feminist Network said: “It is clear that the owners of The Lodge have total disregard for the wishes of local residents and taxpayers of Oxford.

“They have wasted taxpayers’ money in pursuing a judicial review and are now threatening further legal action.

“Oxford Feminist Network will be offering their support to the council if the owners go ahead with their Court of Appeal case.

She claimed: “The lapdancing industry does not give its dancers employment contracts.

“Instead, dancers have to work as freelancers without standard employment rights such as sick pay, maternity pay and redundancy payments.

“We are concerned about any worker from The Lodge who is suffering a loss of income because the club demand they work as freelancers.”

But Mr Thompson refuted the network’s claim and said the club had acted properly throughout its existence, treated its workers fairly, and felt it was firmly in the right.

Mr Thompson said: “We are still rocking and rolling, we’re still open.

“While the appeal goes through the original approval still applies so we were allowed to open again.

“We think we have a very strong case and are now just waiting for our day in court.

He added; “It could take up to 10 weeks for the appeal to come to court, but until then we are still open for trade.

“We’re still open; we’ve had no bother or trouble from anyone and will continue to trade for as long as we can.”

The venue, formerly called Thirst Lodge, was moved from Pennyfarthing Place in the city centre in 2011 after the council said it was too close to St Ebbe’s Church.

Despite granting it a licence the council reversed its decision in September and said the new location was also “inappropriate”, as it was near Oxford Ice Rink.

The council claimed the club had an adverse impact on the area.

But Mr Thompson argued in court that there had been no complaints from residents or police, and that the council had acted unfairly.