Selby councillors have ordered a partial cover-up at striptease shows, despite a warning that restricting the degree of nudity would fail to attract punters.

District councillors meeting last night agreed that both male and female strippers should strut their stuff in a less provocative manner that would not offend public decency.

They voted to allow the Full Monty on stage - but performers will have to cover up if they mingle with the audience.

They also banned sex acts or simulated sex, and said no physical contact should be made with an audience member, which is initiated by the performer.

Striptease venues must also employ security staff, all of whom should be registered with the York Doorsafe scheme, and anyone under 18 should not be allowed in.

It will be the duty of the licensee to bring the new restrictions to the attention of the strippers before they get down to the bare necessities.

Councillor Jean Ashton told the council's health and environmental services committee last night that the new rules were prudish and would not put bums on seats.

Coun Ashton said she was among the sell-out audience at Tadcaster's Riley Smith Hall when male strippers ended the show by wearing nothing but a smile.

She said: "It was a bit of fun and was almost spoilt by over-zealous council officers and police.

"The 420 audience members were mature, intelligent women who know what life is about. The men were muscular hunks, and the only thing the ladies possibly needed were smelling salts.

"If you restrict the degree of nudity, you won't get the audiences. We aren't living in Victorian times, and I don't want to be told what I can and cannot watch."

Coun Ashton said there was even a clampdown on the raffle, with men's shirts as prizes. "Who wants a shirt when they could have had an Ann Summers' piece of equipment with a battery?" she asked.

Coun Rachel Cunliffe disagreed, saying women were getting as bad as men who ogled page 3 offerings in newspapers.

She said: "We aren't all frustrated. People's bodies should remain private - and so should tonight's discussion."

Coun Steve Shaw-Wright said the new restrictions would avoid the embarrassing "morning after the night before" scenario.

He said: "There are times when we've had a drink we do things that the next morning we wish we hadn't. I don't want to limit people's freedom, but these shows can only go so far."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.