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The Scottish Government is refusing to ban under-18s from working in strip clubs, it was revealed yesterday.

It comes after Labour MSP Cara Hilton proposed an amendment to the Air Weapons and Licensing Bill currently going through the Scottish Parliament.

She told the parliament's local government committee a charity has argued that it would create a 'groomers' charter'.

Justice Minister Michael Matheson told the committee he had sympathy with the objective of offering better protection to teenagers.

But he said the proposed ban could mean employment opportunities for young people were "unreasonably restricted".

(Image: PA)

The law doesn't mean it's legal for under 18 year olds to work in sexual entertainment venues as performers.

But they could be office staff or cleaners, leading campaigners to fear they could be coerced into becoming performers and risk being propositioned for sex.

Ms Hilton said she was "extremely disappointed" that SNP MSPs opposed the measure.

Jenny Kemp, co-director of Edinburgh-based anti-violence charity Zero Tolerance, said the lack of a ban on under-18s working in the venues left the door open to serious exploitation.

She said: "It opens up an opportunity to press young people into this industry by the back door - employing them in an office or cleaning role, but using that as an opportunity to groom them for a performing role.

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"We welcome the new regime to regulate Sexual Entertainment Venues. But we don't agree that under 18s should be allowed to work in these venues, at any time or in any role.

"This is a child protection issue. We want to see parity with the rules about sex shops, which never employ under 18s.

"We're confident that a minor amendment to the bill at Stage 3 can fix this loophole and look forward to working with all parties to achieve this."

She said a ban would put sex entertainment venues on the same footing as sex shops, which are already prohibited from employing under-18s.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "The Bill currently proposes that under 18s would be banned from the premises whilst sexual entertainment was taking place.

"They would however be allowed to enter at other times so they could perhaps be employed as a cleaner or merely allowed to attend other types of activities that may be taking place.

"The Cabinet Secretary for Justice agreed in front of the Local Government and Regeneration Committee last week that we would look at the issue further and bring forward an amendment to tighten up the rules further for Stage 3 of the Bill."