Sex club surprise

May 27 2007 By Pauline Holt, The Sunday Sun

A primary school headteacher has expressed concern about the lack of consultation before what claims to be the North East's largest sex club opened on her school's doorstep.

Sue McNeilly, acting head of Hudson Road Primary School, in Hendon, Sunderland, was surprised to discover that the Fizikal club, in Merton Street, only a few hundred yards from the school, hosts Club F, which claims to be "the North East's biggest and best adult party venue" for swingers.

Ms McNeilly, who believed the premises - also a gay men's sauna - was just a health club, said: "I would have thought someone should have made us aware of this.

"When a sex shop applied to open locally, we were told and had to go to the civic centre to object. We were also consulted about a nearby needle exchange, so you would have thought for something like this, there would have been something to make us aware."

According to Club F's website, it has recently undergone a facelift and now features a jail cell and a "posture enhancing swing". There are also St Trinian's fancy dress nights as well as an erotic cinema, playrooms and a 12-seat jacuzzi.

A review on one swingers website said the club was "full of great, fun-loving attractive couples", but another complained that too many single men were allowed into the club.

Regulars at the Catholic Club across the road have become used to the comings and goings.

The steward said because Fizikal did not have a licence to sell alcohol, customers bought their drinks from the Catholic Club to take with them.

Catholic Club regular John Lennox said: "Everyone just lets them get on with it. There's never any bother." A spokeswoman for nearby A1 Taxis said people visited the club from across the region.

"You see some very expensive cars parked outside," said the spokeswoman.

Couples are charged £20 for Saturday party nights and single men £15 for some of the other nights. A Sunderland Council spokesman said the club did not need a licence to operate, which meant there was no legal requirement to consult the neighbouring community.

But he added that as a business, it was required to conform to the usual health and safety standards.