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Sunset Cinema in Soho |
‘Swingers’ cinema reopening blocked
Venue loses bid to open doors after sex allegations
AN adult cinema in Soho showing pornographic films has lost its bid to reopen following an undercover police operation that exposed it as a venue for sex orgies and swingers’ parties.
At a hearing this week, licensing chiefs at Westminster Council heard accounts on internet forums from visitors to the Sunset Cinema in Brewer Street boasting of their lurid exploits and ruled the X-rated “shenanigans” would not be tolerated.
But Sunset’s new management claim the decision is unfair. They say they have made strides to change, and that the ruling was coloured by their former and now undeserved reputation.
The cinema gained infamy in 2006 when a pensioner was stabbed in the neck with a knife, and now, after numerous reopenings and closures, it will shut once more.
The decision marks a significant victory in the council’s so-called “war on sleaze” – a clean-up campaign which has been seen by some as an assault on Soho’s 350-year-old ties with the sex industry.
At an appeal against the initial closure at Westminster Magistrates’ Court last year, District Judge Evans said that the premises had “won for themselves such an unattractive, yet popular, reputation for sexual shenanigans”.
Police claim the cinema would continue to operate as a magnet for crime, disorder and drug taking.
Detective Sergeant Nic Clacy said: “Serious levels of crime and disorder were found to exist during previous covert police visits, and it remains of concern to the police that resumption of the use of these premises as an adult cinema will inevitably attract the same clientele, followed by the same problems with behaviour.
“Police conducted a visit to the premises on May 22. Whilst on the premises, two of the officers were indecently assaulted, and witnessed a number of sexual acts, including group sex between patrons, and sexual intercourse within view of the public passing the premises.”
Most of the 50 or so “reviews” posted on the popular swingers website, Swinging Heaven, are too X-rated to print, but include reports of oral and group sex as well as masturbation. One of the less salacious says: “If you like the idea of ‘playing’ with the crowd in a porno cinema (as we did), then Sunset is the place.”
Sunset manager Declan Forde had applied for a licence to show films and sell alcohol until midnight, seven days a week.
Speaking after the hearing, Mr Forde said: “I think it was turned down because the building has a bad name.
“All that stuff is in the past and we are new management. We were going to change the name and have a gay cinema downstairs which would put an end to all the stuff going on before. And we said we were going to take our name off the swingers’ website. Soho and sex have always gone together. It feels like they’re trying to kill the area off.” |
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