London, October 09 : Lap-dancing club owners in Britain are fuming at the new licence laws proposed in the parliament which intend to reclassify the shops as "sex encounter establishments."

If the proposed law gets through, the industry may lose up to 15,000 jobs, as owners may need to pay up to 30,000 pounds for the new licence.

Lap Dancing Association, which represents around a third of the UK''s 300 lap-dance establishments, insists it is unfair to put lap-dancers in same category as sex workers.

Peter Stringfellow, a popular face of Britain''s lap-dancing industry, said that lap dancing clubs do not fit the description of a Sexual Encounter Establishment.

"I am a full entertainment club. I have a restaurant, I employ over 90 people full-time, not including the dancers, so it''s a silly title," Sky News quoted him as saying.

"I don''t deserve to be treated in this way. My licences are correct and proper.

"I don''t want anyone coming into my clubs thinking they are going to get a sexual encounter.

"Mine are not sexual encounter clubs. They are gentlemen''s clubs," he added.

The new licensing regime was initiated under increased pressure from campaigners and residents'' groups after a sharp increase in the number of clubs in residential areas. (ANI)