A York night spot's plans for topless barmaids, one imprisoned in a cage, have sparked outrage from women's rights campaigners.

The scantily-clad barmaids will be accompanied by female strippers doing a "Full Monty" on stage at the city centre jazz bar The Cells later this month.

Disgusted customers have already threatened to boycott the venue, which is a popular student haunt.

The event is part of a themed "gentlemen's" evening, which has been designed to drum up trade on a normally-quiet Monday night.

The 50-capacity venue will charge £5 for punters to watch an all-female trio of strip dancers and be served drinks by two topless women, on October 26.

The bar's general manager, Peppe Spadone, said: "One will be called Miss Decadence and will be locked behind the bar, like in a cell."

But Sheryl Hardman, one of the University of York student union's women officers, said the union was planning to ban The Cells from leaflet advertising on campus.

She said: "It is completely offensive to women. The whole idea of women being put in cages is abhorrent.

"Women do this for money, but that's not a good reason. It is not saying that they want to be caged.

"The whole atmosphere is that you see women as objects that titillate you, set in boxes for your pleasure."

Councillor Madeleine Kirk, a member of the City of York Council's women's working group, said: "It is a power thing against the woman. This type of club only serves to perpetuate that, and I do not condone it."

But she added that if women decided of their own free will to take part in the show, they should not be prevented from doing so provided it was legal.

She said: "Remember, the way a woman dresses or undresses does not give a man any rights over them."

Mr Spadone defended the evening, saying: "They are all willing and happy to have a bit of fun. They will be protected and not in any danger. There is certainly not going to be any lap dancing or anything.

"It is a ticket-only event, so people will know beforehand that they are going to see titillation. We are just trying it as a one-off.

"We had a ladies' night so why not one for the gents?"

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