LAP-dancing clubs have turned Bournemouth into Sin City, it has been claimed.

Residents claim the town's reputation as a family resort has been ruined by the adult entertainment industry.

On Wednesday, Members of Parliament were considering making it easier for councils to control the spread of the clubs by increasing licensing regulations.

And the chairman of Bournemouth's East Cliff and Town Centre Residents Association, David Clutterbuck, said of the clubs: "Bournemouth has turned into Sin City. It now has a sleazy reputation."

But one industry boss has said the town's clubs are popular and "good clean fun".

The number of lap-dancing clubs in Britain has doubled to around 300 since 2004.

Tobias Ellwood, Conservative MP for Bournemouth East, wants more regulation of the industry and says councils should be able to get tougher with the trade.

He said: "At the moment it is quite simple for a pub or club with an entertainment licence to make the blurred transition from on-stage entertainment to lap-dancing. I do not want Bournemouth's reputation as a family resort challenged by the growth in lap-dancing clubs.

"The council needs the power to be able to control the growth of lap-dancing clubs."

Town centre councillor David Smith said: "Lap-dancing clubs should be separately licensed but if I had my way we would not have lap-dancing clubs in Bournemouth.

"I don't think they bring anything to the town at all."

Council officers welcomed the suggestion they could be given more power to control the trade.

Steve Wright, principal licensing officer for Bournemouth council, said: "If the Licensing Act 2003 is amended to incorporate an adult entertainment establishment category, it could assist the local authority to limit the number of adult entertainment venues."

An increase in control would impress some residents.

But Richard Carr, who counts nude cabaret club Wiggle among his Bournemouth businesses, said further legislation was "completely unnecessary" as clubs were already well-regulated and well-run.

He added: "If you don't like them, don't go into them.

"They are good, clean fun and, in fact, a lot of the customers are single women going for a quiet drink.

"I could also point out that when the Labour conference and the Association of Chief Police Officers' conference was at the BIC, those were our busiest weeks at the club. So sometimes it seems like those people complaining about the industry are also the ones who use it."

He added: "Bournemouth council has a lap-dancing licence for the BIC. The BIC, which is the largest public venue in town, has the ability to show full nudity on stage. Their licence is no different to the one that Wiggle, Spearmint Rhino or For Your Eyes Only has."