A CHURCH has been left with a £12,000 legal bill after a judge dismissed its appeal to stop lap-dancing at a city-centre venue.

Rev Vaughan Roberts, the rector of St Ebbe’s Church, took Thirst Lodge to a three-day trial at Oxford Magistrates’ Court after it changed from a nightclub to a lap-dancing venue in October.

The change of use at the Pennyfarthing Place site had been approved by the city council’s licensing committee, but the church lodged an appeal.

Yesterday Deputy District Judge Gary Lucie threw out the appeal after finding there was no public nuisance, the church’s activities rarely overlapped with Thirst Lodge’s opening hours and crime and disorder had actually fallen since the club’s change of use.

He said the moral argument surrounding lap-dancing venues could not be explored under current legislation and the matter was simply a licensing one.

Following the verdict, Craig Baylis, representing Thirst Lodge’s Rob Opher, asked for £25,000 costs despite his “£500-an-hour” charges exceeding that amount.

He said: “This was an appeal that should never have been brought.

“It was entirely inappropriate given the lack of evidence to impugn the decision of the licensing committee and pursue a trial in this way.

“Why should Mr Opher be out of pocket to £30,000? He has been dragged to the magistrates’ court without any substantial evidence against the premises.”

Deputy District Judge Lucie agreed to order payment of £12,000 costs, partly because there “was a paucity of evidence in relation to crime and disorder”.

Speaking outside court, Rev Roberts said: “We will be telling the members of the sum and we’ve had indication that there’s a fair number who support us and would want to help us out.”

Asked whether he regretted taking legal action he said: “Not at all. We regret the giving of the licence in the first place.

“We felt absolutely that we had grounds for appeal and that for the sake of the church and the city of Oxford it was right to bring it.”

He added: “I’m very disappointed for the church as we still are a busy church operating long hours while the club is open and there will be young people around on Friday nights and women who feel very unsafe in the area.

“The licensing authority failed to do what was right in the first place.

“It’s important to say this is the last thing we want to be doing.

“What we are really about is spreading the great news of God’s love.

“We don’t want to give the impression we are out to be killjoys but we felt for the sake of the church and of Oxford there was grounds to do so.”

The church has 28 days to pay.

Earlier in proceedings, Mr Opher, the tenant of Thirst Lodge, told the appeal that up to 90 customers would now visit the club on a busy night.

Mr Opher said: “There is a higher age group and a bigger average spend. We sell bottles of champagne for £250 and £500, and we have some very high spenders.”

Mr Opher added he had tried to be a “good neighbour” to the church.

Rev Roberts told the hearing that female staff at the church felt intimidated.

He said: “The men come out sexually charged and that makes the staff feel vulnerable.”

The court was told that dancers had breached club rules by dancing within one metre of the customers.

Mr Opher admitted it took dancers a short time to adjust to the one-metre distance regulation.

Earlier this year, city council leader Bob Price said that the local authority intended to adopt new licensing powers so that it could stop lap-dancing clubs getting or renewing licences to operate in the city.