Women at Cheltenham feel threatened by pop-up strip clubs, says minister

Alex Chalk said of the council: ‘They refuse to see there is a women’s safety issue here and I think that leaves them very much behind the times.’ Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA

The presence of pop-up strip clubs at Cheltenham is making women feel “threatened and intimidated” at one of Britain’s biggest race festivals, the justice secretary has said.

Alex Chalk, the MP for Cheltenham, challenged the local council to stop granting licences to so-called sexual entertainment venues (SEVs).