A trendy “secret bar” designed to resemble a humble laundrette has been forced to issue a disclaimer after customers kept turning up with bags of dirty washing.

The Washhouse in Manchester city centre is a favourite low-key haunt for city centre drinkers.

The venue, whose front resembles a traditional cleaners, is so hush-hush that patrons are required to walk past coin-operated washers and in through a ‘secret door’.

But the quirky venue’s outside appearance has caused Manchester council to get involved after people armed with bags of dirty washing have been turning up at the bar weekly only to be politely turned away by staff.

However, one customer did not see the funny side of the confusion and complained to trading standards officers.

The website of the bar, which opened last summer, had previously made knowing references to washing powder and alterations.

But bar bosses have now agreed to make it clear that they are not an actual laundrette.

Manager Chris Melville said that the venue’s jokey website had been part of it’s ‘hidden bar’ appeal – but admitted the venue had seen its share of bamboozled customers.

“I had a call from trading standards. They arranged a meeting to discuss a complaint they had received, and suggested we changed the description on our website, which we have done. Chris Melville, Manager of The Washhouse

Inside the 'secret bar' Washhouse Credit: Manchester Evening News

Council bosses are said to have received a complaint from a customer who said the business had wasted her time when she contacted them with a legitimate cleaning query.