Nightclub bosses install two-way mirror in women's toilets so groups of men can leer at clubbers using sinks from private booths

Two private booths at The Shimmy Club in Glasgow cost £800-a-night to hire

Both have a two-way mirror overlooking the sinks in the women's toilets



Like a police interrogation mirror, women in the toilets can't see other side

Female clubbers and women's rights organisations disgusted at the feature

Shimmy Club defended the two-way mirror as just being a 'bit of fun'



A Scottish nightclub has installed a two-way mirror allowing male revellers to secretly spy on women when they visit the venue's toilets.



Only clubbers who hire out either of the two £800-a-time private rooms at The Shimmy Club in Glasgow can view the spyglass which overlooks the sinks in the women's toilets.



Similar to the those used in police interrogation rooms, the mirror allows revellers in the private function rooms to spy on those in the women's toilets without their knowledge.

'Violation': Outraged women's rights campaigners have voiced their disgust after The Shimmy Club in Glasgow placed a two-way mirror looking into the women's toilets (stock image)

A picture taken inside one of the rooms and leaked on the internet shows two female clubbers applying make-up in the toilets completely unaware they are being watched.



The two-way mirror has outraged female guests and women's rights campaigners.



The nightclub, which is owned by millionaire entrepreneur Stefan King’s G1 Group, has defended the 'interactive feature' as 'a bit of fun'.

A comment posted on the nightclub's Facebook page read: 'The Shimmy Club’s two-way mirror is a design feature created as a bit of fun, an interactive feature which we hoped would act as a talking point for people visiting The Shimmy. The vast majority of people who have visited the club have taken it as such.



'It's clear that those who are negatively commenting online may not have been lucky enough to get past the door staff yet and viewed the area as they would have seen that the sight line is very limited and allows for glimpses into the wash up area only of the ladies loos (there is also a separate mirror area which is completely out of view of the club).



'There has always been signage in the toilets which no-one has mentioned thus far but as a result of the media feedback clearer signage has been put in place to inform our female customers.



'Overall our customers seem to enjoy this unique idea, loads of you have used the opportunity as it was intended and knowingly had pictures taken acting up to the camera individually or in a group of friends.

Comment: The Shimmy Club management left this response, pictured right, to complaints about its two-way mirror on its Facebook page



'However we are committed to listening to you guys who are our core customer base and hugely appreciate your loyalty so if your feedback (and not that of the media) is that you want the mirror area to change then we will listen to that and make changes.'



A spokesman for the club claimed that men and mixed groups are not allowed to hire the rooms. But a photograph on the venue’s own Facebook site showed two young women in a bathroom while a man looks on from the other side of the mirror, the Daily Express reports.



Shocked female revellers have told how they were completely unaware of the mirror and had no idea they could be viewed by people in private rooms as they used the venue's toilet.



One clubber whom asked not to be named told the newspaper: 'I was completely shocked to discover that the mirror in the ladies’ bathroom is a two-way mirror facing out onto the club. I find it absolutely outrageous that a club can get away with this, it is a complete invasion of privacy of the unsuspecting girls.



'Nowhere is it made clear that this is the case so when visiting the bathroom for the first time, there are women bending over the sink, pouting into the mirror to redo their lipstick, adjusting themselves whilst unknowingly being watched by people on the other side.



'The fact that these two-way mirrors only look into the ladies’ bathrooms and not the men’s makes it clear that the intention is to sexualise women as objects, allowing men to make inappropriate gestures and leer disgustingly at them.'



The Scottish arm of sexual harassment group Hollaback said it was ‘shocked’ at the reports, saying they were ‘gob smacking’.

Glasgow MSP Drew Smith said he was concerned about the set up, adding: 'I think most of us find the concept of a voyeur toilet disturbing.



'I would urge the management of this club to board it up and show their customers some respect.



'Women using a washroom should not have to worry about whether they are part of some kind of bizarre peep show.'



An online petition has also been started calling for awards that were given to venue owner G1 Group to be retracted.