It was was once considered a risqué pursuit, performed in front of a paying clientele at late night establishments.

However, now pole dancing has been recognised by an international sporting body, following an 11-year battle by a British competitor to make the event an Olympic sport.

For the first time, the Global Association of International Sports Federation (GAISF) has granted seven events “Observer status”, meaning they are now provisionally recognised as sports.

The historic milestone means that the International Pole Sports Federation (IPSF), founded by Katie Coates, 41, from Hertfordshire, is now able to apply for membership of the International Olympic Committee.

If accepted, it is hoped that membership will pave the way to poledancing becoming an event at the Olympics, which would see it join recently incorporated fixtures such as baseball, karate and surfing.

At a national level, the British federation for pole dancing is now eligible to apply for national sports recognition through the Department for Digital, Culture and Sport.