Virgin Active, one of the UK’s largest chain of health clubs, emailed members of its branch in Barbican, London, informing them that following “inappropriate behaviour” in the men’s locker room, there would be undercover police officers stationed in the changing area — but this was untrue, BuzzFeed News can reveal.

Dr Max Pemberton, a gay member of the gym who was concerned after receiving the email, forwarded it to BuzzFeed News. It stated that City of London Police — the jurisdiction in which the gym resides — were supplying the secret policemen.

But when approached by BuzzFeed News, a City of London Police spokesperson replied: “We have not put undercover officers into the changing rooms of this gym, or any other gym in the City. We became aware of this email sent out to members by Virgin and have asked them to issue a correction, which I believe they are going to do imminently.”

At the time BuzzFeed News contacted Virgin Active, 10 days after the email was sent, this correction had not been issued.

Before being informed that the gym’s email was untrue, Pemberton told BuzzFeed News that he was astonished that the gym or the police would plant officers in private facilities. “Despite escalating knife crime, the police are now going undercover to stop people cruising. It’s like 1950s honey traps in men’s toilets all over again, when they targeted gays in a homophobic clampdown,” he said. “Can’t believe police resources are being wasted on this.”

When told that the contents of the email were untrue, Pemberton said, "It's disgraceful that they lied, and undermines any reassurance they have given as being supportive of the LGBT community."

A Virgin Active press officer refused to answer questions via telephone, including whether the chain of gyms was aware of the history of police entrapment of gay men, but denied that the company had lied to customers, instead citing a “miscommunication” between Virgin Active and the City of London Police.