Sexual entertainment venues (SEVs) are defined in the
Policing and Crime Act 2009, and are regulated by
local authorities under the
Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982. This classification was originally intended to regulate
lap-dancing clubs,
Swingers' clubs and other venues where naked people or people having sex may be visible to other attendees are not commonly regulated as SEVs. This is due to the nature of the act that is intended for lap-dancing clubs. As Swingers clubs do not pay attendees to provide the entertainment, many clubs have argued that they do not provide the entertainment for an audience and are therefore exempt. Local authorities have the power to cap the number of SEVs in their area and can set the cap at zero (a nil cap). United Sex Workers (now the
Sex Workers Union) successfully challenged nil caps in Edinburgh and Bristol. == See also ==